Father-of-three who survived 9/11 drowns trying to save kids after raft capsizes

Luke Laidley died after saving children who fell into Lake Michigan when their tube overturned (Pictures: LinkedIn/ABC 7)

A father-of-three who survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks drowned while trying to save children after a raft capsized on the Fourth of July.

Luke Laidley, 43, was spending Independence Day boating on Lake Michigan around 1.30pm when a tube that his vessel was pulling flipped and several children fell into the water.

He dove in to rescue them.

‘Luke lived his life guided by his experiences and he had several that allowed him to bestow compassion, love, inspiration, and leadership to others. He lived a hero’s song,’ states Laidley’s obituary.

Luke Laidley was working his first job with Morgan Stanley in Tower 2 when terrorists hijacked planes and flew into the Twin Towers (Picture: snbc13.com)

‘Luke Laidley embraced and lived this belief to the end on July 4, 2023 where he risked his life for the children who were struggling.’

Others on the boat pulled Laidley aboard and performed CPR on him, WLS reported. He was rushed to a hospital in serious condition and was pronounced dead shortly after.

Laidley was 21 years old when he took his first job with Morgan Stanley, which was the largest tenant in Tower 2 of the World Trade Center in New York City. He managed to escape the 61st floor as the tower crumbled after hijacked planes flew into the Twin Towers.

‘I encourage all of us to count our blessings each and every day. Give of yourself and expect nothing in return. And become part of something that is greater than yourself,’ Laidley wrote of the near-death experience, according to his obituary.

Others on the boat got Luke Laidley aboard and performed CPR but could not save him (Picture: ABC 7)

Years later, Laidley’s philosophy continued to be: ‘Give of yourself and expect nothing in return. And become part of something that is greater than yourself’.

Laidley was the fifth of six children in his family and grew up in Libertyville, Illinois. He graduated from Boston College with a degree in finance and married Lauren. The couple had three children – Lucas, 7; Vivian, 5; and Logan, 3.

His ‘true passion in life was being a devoted husband and a loving father’, his obituary states. Laidley’s ‘smile lit up the room’ and he ‘exuded positivity and perseverance with everything he did’. He ‘loved deeply and truly with all his heart’.

Luke Laidley’s ‘true passion in life was being a devoted husband and a loving father’ (Picture: LinkedIn)

Laidley’s funeral will take place on July 15 at St Joseph Catholic Church in Libertyville.

‘He became part of something bigger, as his death will serve a greater purpose as an organ donor,’ his obituary states .’A life lived with purpose. A life lived to serve for others. A life lived as a hero.’

Laidley drowned less than a month after a father-of 13 and neurologist, Dr Dustin Harker, died after saving children when their whitewater raft overturned in the Sunshine Falls area of the Arkansas River in Colorado.

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Luke Laidley wrote ‘give of yourself and expect nothing in return’ after surviving the 9/11 terrorist attacks.