Fisherman in critical condition after falling into Fox River near Antioch

ANTIOCH, Ill. — A 73-year-old northern Illinois man was hospitalized in critical condition after being rescued from a Fox River channel, authorities said.

The rural Antioch man fell into the channel while trying to retrieve a fishing line Friday afternoon, Lake County sheriff’s deputies told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

One of the rescuers, a 74-year-old man from Winthrop Harbor, was fishing with the victim in a small boat when the incident occurred, deputies said.

One of the men got his fishing line tangled in the weeds, deputies said. The victim tried to retrieve the line but fell into the cold water and was submerged for one to two minutes.

The 74-year-old attempted to hold the victim’s head above water from the boat. He was assisted by a 48-year-old man from Villa Park who heard the 74-year-old man’s calls for help and jumped into the water to help.

Sheriff’s deputies responded at 1:35 p.m. to the scene in unincorporated Lake County near Antioch. They arrived as the victim was being pulled from the water.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital.