The drowning happened Saturday night at the Lincoln Park Lagoon in the city's largest park, according to news reports.
The body of Michael Fernandez was recovered Sunday afternoon following a 19-hour search, according to WGN-TV.
29-year-old Michael Kevin Fernandez passed away on Sunday while “heroically saving” his beloved Siberian Husky dog named “Sora.” https://t.co/MJQFP4yg4Z
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) August 28, 2019
Fernandez, a limo driver, dove into the lagoon, which is 18 feet deep in spots, to try and rescue his 1-year-old dog, which was struggling in the water, the news station reported. His girlfriend also went into the water to try to save him.
"She did try to get into the water, but because of the high weed content right here at the shore she [couldn't ] get very far in," Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Jason Lach told WGN.
The girlfriend and dog both made it out of the lagoon alive.
Members of the victim's family are calling into question what they see as a safety issue at the park, WGN reported.
“There’s no safety features at all,” Arthur Fernandez, Michael Fernandez’s uncle, said.
“There’s no fences here, to keep kids and everybody from not falling into the lagoon,” he said.
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