A man trying to take a photo from the top of the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue fell 22 feet down a smokestack and died, according to authorities.
The 23-year-old man, from Minnesota, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office said.
He was wheeled into an ambulance inside the basement garage of the Intercontinental Hotel, at 505 N. Michigan Ave., about 5:05 a.m. and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in "extremely critical" condition, according to the fire department. A white sheet had been draped over him.
The man fell 22 feet into an angled portion of the 6-foot wide smokestack and was wedged in, Fire Department Spokeswoman Meg Ahlheim said. After the angle, the chimney is vertical for about 42 floors.
Fire crews had cut into the wall adjacent to the angled portion and used wood boards to block the man's fall, in case his position adjusted at all, Ahlheim said.
"We had to send members from the top down on ropes to assess his condition, the whole time we’re monitirong the situation for toxic gases," said Special Operations Chief Michael Fox. " We found the best way to get out him was to go about two floors below and we had to cut the ductwork for the chimeny, which was made out of steel. And eventually we ended up sliding the victim down into the hole and removing him from the building"
The man was able to communicate with his girlfriend, either with phone calls or text messages, Ahlheim said, but firefighters lost contact with him about 3:15 a.m.
The Chicago Fire Department had responded to the hotel about 1:10 a.m. after someone called and reported a person threatening to jump.
Firefighters later learned the man fell into a smokestack, Ahlheim said. A "confined space" rescue, bringing 30 department companies and about 100 firefighters and paramedics, was called about 2 a.m.
More than two dozen department vehicles, including two department rescue squads, a hazardous materials truck, at least two ambulances and a department command van lined Michigan Avenue during the rescue.
A spokesperson for the hotel wasn't immediately available and employees at the hotel hung up twice when reached by phone for comment.
pnickeas@tribune.com
Twitter: @peternickeas
Man dies after falling from Mag Mile hotel while taking photos
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Man dies after falling from Mag Mile hotel while taking photos
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Man dies after falling from Mag Mile hotel while taking photos
