Wife braves storm to rescue husband, 2 friends in capsized sailboat

by STEFANO ESPOSITO

Three men were rescued from the water near Montrose Harbor Wednesday night, after their sailboat capsized in stormy weather and one of the sailor’s wives then took another boat out to search for them.

The men likely spent about 45 minutes in the chilly lake water, said members of Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club at Montrose, where the boat originally departed from.

All three of the men were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford. The man whose wife was involved in the rescue was transported in serious to critical condition, Langford said. A second man was in fair condition and a third man was in good condition, Langford said.

A paramedic who treated the injured at the harbor said all three appeared to be suffering from hypothermia.

The 19-foot boat belonged to a member of Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club. The boat left the harbor at about 5 p.m. Authorities said the owner’s wife called her husband aboard the sailboat to warn him that bad weather was on its way.

When the boat hadn’t returned by 8 p.m., the boat owner’s wife became worried.

That’s when the man’s wife, along with two others, went out in another boat to search for the missing sailors, eventually bringing them into the harbor.

Yacht club members who saw the three rescued men said all three appeared to be conscious, but two of the men were having difficulty communicating clearly.

The capsized sailboat – a “Rhodes 19” – was later towed into the harbor; it was completely filled with water.

Staff Reporter sesposito@suntimes.com

Contributing: Tina Sfondeles

Chicago Sun-Times