Joliet police, fire team up with residents for river rescue

The Joliet Police Department is thanking some residents who assisted in rescuing an adult and a child from the Des Plaines River in downtown Joliet last month

On Aug. 12, the Joliet Communications Center received calls of two people who had fallen into the river near Bicentennial Park, 201 W. Jefferson St., according to a post on the Joliet Police Department Facebook page.

Officers arrived on scene and found community members using a bike as a make-shift “hold item” to help an adult female who was still in the river, according to the Facebook post. Officers deployed a water-rescue throw-bag to then help keep the adult float.

Joliet Fire Department crews then arrived on the scene and were able to safely rescue the adult out of the river, police said.

Officers learned the adult had jumped in the river to rescue a young child, but the adult then needed rescuing herself. The child was pulled out of the river by residents on the scene prior to Joliet police and fire personnel arriving, police said.

Both the child and female adult were not seriously injured and are expected to fully recover, police said.

“The Joliet Police Department would like to recognize and thank those community members who came together to help the child and adult. This combined effort between community members, Joliet Police & Joliet Fire further strengthens our mission of working with the community for a safe city,” the police department said on its Facebook page.