Page 58 - October 2018 FOP Magazine

Officer saes hree fro ri crre
■ BY DAN CAMPANA
Officer Steven Ommundson did not hesitate.
Ommundson and fellow officers arrived at Loyola Park Beach just before 8 p.m. on July 6, after a distress call from a group of teenagers who reported that two of their friends had been pulled away from the shore by a rip current.
The group of officers spotted one of the teenagers strug- gling in the water, and Ommundson ran into the lake without a thought for his own safety. Ommundson’s act of courage, which was amplified when he returned to the water two more times to help rescue a fellow officer and a good Samaritan, earned him the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s Officer of the Month Award for September.
According to officials, as Ommundson — a former Chica- go Park District lifeguard — first went into the water, Officer Elizabeth Wilson followed. Ommundson swam through 8-foot waves to reach a 13-year-old girl and pull her to shore. He then went back into the lake a second time when he saw Wilson and another person trapped on the break wall.
Ommundson swam to where he found Wilson and pre- vented her from being swept away by the current. He helped Wilson move closer to where fire department personnel had entered the water and assisted in removing her from the lake.
But Ommundson wasn’t done. He went back into the lake a third time to help a man who ended up needing rescue after trying to assist the teenagers. Firefighters tossed Ommundson a life ring, which he gave to the man. Ommundson and the man then made their way back to shore, where paramedics
treated the man.
“Officer Ommundson’s service continues today as he keeps
the streets safe in Chicago’s Rogers Park,” CPMF Executive Director Phil Cline said. “In a heartbeat, this officer stripped down to his underwear and swam into danger to save a citi- zen. We are grateful that the CPD has many officers like Steven Ommundson who act to save lives without giving it a second thought.”
“Tragically, Lake Michigan took one young girl that evening, but we might have lost three others if not for the actions of Officer Ommundson,” added Cline. “We commend him for his bravery.” d
58 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2018