Caught on video: Man pulled from icy waters of Lake Michigan

CHICAGO (WGN) — The Chicago Police Department released video Sunday showing officers pulling a man from the icy waters of Lake Michigan.

Surveillance video captured the scene just before 7 a.m. Saturday. An unnamed 22-year-old can be seen walking on the lakefront trail downtown, falling once on the ice before getting up and continuing on his way. The temperature was in the teens but the wind chill made it feel like 5 degrees.

Moving close to the ledge, the man continued on his way down the lakeshore path until he moved out of view. Suddenly, a jogger appeared to see him slip and splash into the icy water.

The jogger frantically tried to flag down cars as they passed by, but when no one stopped, he hopped the barrier and ran for help. The man in the lake struggled, keeping his head above the frigid water as his hands slipped on the surface of the shoreline.

Shortly afterward, two Chicago police SWAT officers arrived, sprinted across the snow and stretched headfirst above the water to pull the man to safety.

Other first responders rushed in with rescue equipment and blankets before taking the man to the hospital. He was listed in critical condition.

There are barriers warning people that the lakefront trails are closed because of the icy conditions, but they’re not enough to keep people away from the lakefront.

Annie Reef frequently jogs along the lakefront and said she thinks about how it's possible to fall into the water every time she goes on a run.

“I mean, you slip all the time, and you just hope nothing bad happens, I mean it’s great they were able to come so quickly," Reef said.

The whole rescue took less than 10 minutes. The identity of the man who fell in the water has not been made public.