US News

Hero crew member drowns while rescuing passengers when luxury yacht capsizes

A crew member on a Chicago luxury yacht is being hailed a hero for helping to rescue passengers from the wrecked ship — and losing his life in the process.

The body o🌌f Lorenzo Tobin, 40, was recovered from Lake Michigan on Sunday, two days after he disappeared i🎐nto the water during the tragic incident.

Tobin was working aboard a yacht for a birthday celebration when the boat mysteriously began to capsize around 7:30 pm Friday, his wife Le𝔍sley Jackson-Tob🐬in told .  

“Lorenzo didn’t know the people whose birthday it was,” Jackson-Tobin said. “He was just there as a deckhand. I mean, honestly, it makes me angry because this shoul🦂d not happen. You know, my husband could swim very well.” 

Lorenzo Tobin, 40, a deckhand, stayed behind to help passengers on a sinking yacht in Lake Michigan on Friday. His body washed up two days later. Facebook / Lorenzo Tobin
Tobin apparently stayed in the water to help the captain and other passengers. Facebook / Charles Tibbs

The yacht’s 16 passengers b♍egan to realize something was wrong on the boat only shortly before utter chaos unfolded, according to . 

“The boat is leaning and leaning, and it’s like ‘Oh, my God,’” passenger Dongina Knight said. “That’s when I fell off 🐓the boat.”

Tobin apparently stayed in the water to help the captain and other passengers by ass🔯isting people with their life jackets, ultimately risking his life in the process. 

“He’s a hero,” Jackson-Tobin said. “I feel like even if he had not been on that boat, would have just been walking by, he would have done the same thing. The fact that he helped people, and he’s the only one that 🐭did not make it, I’m angry.”

There were 16 passengers on a Chicago yacht for a birthday celebration when the ship went down. Facebook / Charles Tibbs
“He’s a hero,” Jackson-Tobin said. Instagram / @lorenzo_tobin

According to some passengers on the boat, the cap♛size happened without warning and caused a hectic scene. ಌ;

“It was real chaotic,” passenger Len🔯nie Williams said. “There was another boat that came in and tried to help some of us, and the boat almost hit me and my wife. So as I’m swimming, I’m kind of kicking the boat to get us to shore.” 

Jackson-Tobin said she is working to pi𝄹ece together the tragic events. 

“Somebody knows something,” Charles Tibbs, Tobin’s cousin, said. “We just want somebody to gi🤡ve us some steps ♔on what happened.”

The US Coast Guaꦏrd said they are investigating what caused the yacht to capsize alongside Chicago police and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.