Posts Tagged Chicago FD diver dies after searching for missing boater

Chicago Fire Department news

May 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Fire Department News | Comments off

From ChicagoFD Media on Twitter:

The Chicago Fire Department & Bucio Family gathered for the 5th Year Anniversary Bell Ringing for fallen FF/EMT Juan Bucio, who died in the line of duty during a diving rescue. We will never forget our brother Juan Bucio or his sacrifice.

Juan Bucio’s brother Isaac Bucio Eng 63/ Tower 16 expressed his heartfelt thanks and love for his fellow CFD members.

pic.twitter.com/FbUxbD4beq

— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) May 28, 2023

#chicagoareafire.com; #ChicagoFD; #JuanBucio;

Chicago FD Media photo

Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Aug 18

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Excerpts from Chicago.cbslocal.com:

A Chicago Fire Department diver drowned while on a rescue call on the Chicago River in 2018, caused by a lapse in air management and inability to maintain buoyancy in the water.

The report suggests that if Juan Bucio had an alarm to alert him that his main air tank was empty, he may have been able to switch to his reserve supply.

The 43-page report was completed in June, three years after Bucio disappeared under the waves of the river near 26th and Ashland while searching for a missing boater. Bucio was pronounced dead after he was pulled out several minutes later.

The report suggests more training and fundamental scuba skills for CFD divers. It concluded that a dive computer (which is not required) could have helped alert Bucio of low air rather than relying reading gauges in the dark murky river.

Bucio was found with an entire reserve air tank still full. The report found that when Bucio’s main tank was out of air, it appears he could not inflate his vest for positive buoyancy and control. His 24-pound lead weight belt was also still on, which was further hindering his buoyancy.

Fire Department dive teams responded to a call about a man who fell off a boat on the Chicago River near Canalport Riverwalk Park on Memorial Day of 2018. The body of that man, Alberto Lopez, was recovered from the River several days later.

A helicopter dropped Bucio and his partner into the river to search for the boater. The two had been in the water for some time when they began swimming to a Chicago Fire Department boat.

Bucio and his partner were face to face in the water next to the rocking boat when Bucio’s head went under the waves. His partner placed his hands on the side of the boat to keep his head above water.

From the NIOSH Report:

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Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Aug 25

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, LODD | Comments off

Excerpts from the ChicagoSunTimes.com:

Family and colleagues gathered in The Robert J. Quinn Fire Academy on Tuesday to honor the life of Juan Bucio, the Chicago Fire Department diver who died May 28 searching for a missing man who had fallen off a boat in the Chicago River.

The building where firefighters and paramedics sharpen their skills also serves as a solemn place of reflection for firefighters and family. Along a wall in the academy is a case that memorializes the fallen firefighters and paramedics with their badges and nameplates.

The mayor joined Chicago Fire Commissioner José A. Santiago, Bucio’s two sons and the diver’s brother in unveiling badge number 5115 in the wall of honor display case as Amazing Grace echoed through the building.

Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Jul 18

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, LODD | 1 Comment

Excerpts from CBSchicago.com:

Chicago Fire Department diver Juan Bucio suffered from a rare heart condition that contributed to his death while he was trying to rescue a boater in the Chicago River on Memorial Day.

Bucio vanished in the river near 26th and Ashland around 8 p.m. He was pronounced dead after being pulled out several minutes later.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s report said Bucio had a rare heart condition that led to his death. The official cause of death as ruled by the medical examiner is asphyxia with depletion of air from his diving tank due to cardiac arrhythmia. Lymphocytic myocarditis is an inflammatory reaction in heart muscle – it usually happens after a viral infection as the heart tries to fight a virus, according to Dr. Kousik Krishnan, a Rush University Medical Center cardiologist.

That response can weaken heart muscle, give signs of heart failure, and also make someone at risk of dangerous rhythm problems, Krishnan said. The rare condition, combined with an irregular heartbeat, could prove fatal.

“While the Scuba equipment functioned properly, the decedent likely exhausted his primary air supply at some point during the dive. This in turn caused him to not be able to activate other safety equipment that would have kept him afloat, and thus he sank below the surface,” stated the Cook County Medical Examiner.

The Chicago Fire Department is continuing its own investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bucio’s death and will examine whether protocols were followed.

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Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Jun 12

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submitted from a reader:

Tags: Chicago FD diver dies after searching for missing boater, Chicago FD Firefighter/EMT-B Juan Bucio Badge Number 5115, Chicago Firefighter Juan Bucio LODD, chicagoareafire.com, fire department diver dies during rescue operation, fire department funeral, Funeral for Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Juan Bucio 6/4/18

Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Jun 6

Posted by Admin in Fire Department Funeral | Comments off

Photos from Tim Olk of the funeral for Chicago FF/EMT Juan Bucio

Funeral for Chicago FF/EMT Juan Bucio 6/4/18

Tim Olk photo

[Show slideshow]

Tags: Chicago FD diver dies after searching for missing boater, Chicago FD Firefighter/EMT-B Juan Bucio Badge Number 5115, Chicago Firefighter Juan Bucio LODD, chicagoareafire.com, fire department diver dies during rescue operation, fire department funeral, Funeral for Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Juan Bucio 6/4/18, Tim Olk

Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Jun 4

Posted by Admin in Fire Department Funeral, Fire Department News, LODD | Comments off

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Juan Bucio was a man of few words. Quiet but devoted. Stoic but determined. Disciplined and precise. Bucio preferred to let his work do the talking, family and his fellow firefighters said, whether it was in rescues or training. He was frequently first in team dive tests. He jumped out of a helicopter on Father’s Day to search for a boy missing near Jackson Park harbor.

Bucio’s sons, family, friends and firefighter family tried to press forward Monday, gathering for a funeral Mass to remember and salute their father, brother and comrade. During the bilingual service, family members described Bucio, a divorced father of two boys, ages 9 and 7, as the strong and quiet one.

Earlier Monday morning, firetrucks with black and purple bunting led a procession along Western Avenue to the doors of the church. Leading the way was the scuba team’s vehicle. Engine No. 13 carried Bucio’s casket, draped in the Chicago municipal flag on the back and Bucio’s fire jacket and helmet on the front.

Members of Bucio’s air and rescue team served as pallbearers and carefully unloaded the casket before heading in. One member of the team breathed heavily, clenching his fist as he fought back tears. Bucio’s sons, their gloved hands gently resting on the top of the casket and their heads bowed, led the pallbearers into the church.

At the end of the afternoon, when the procession arrived at the cemetery, a fire engine carried the casket to the burial site, followed closely by the Chicago Police Department’s mounted unit and the fire department’s air and sea rescue team, who marched in formation.

A priest eulogized Bucio, noting the similarities between his last name and buzo, the Spanish word for diver. A duet of trumpeters played Taps. The bagpipers played Amazing Grace. And the honor guard folded the Chicago flag from the atop the coffin and presented it to Bucio’s family.

A casket bearing the body of Chicago Fire Department diver Juan Bucio, 46, arrives on June 4, 2018, for the funeral at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on the South Side of Chicago. Bucio died during a rescue attempt last week. Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune photo

The family of fallen Chicago Fire Department diver Juan Bucio at his funeral at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on June 4, 2018. E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune photo

St. Procopius Pastor Fr. Gary Graf addresses the sons of fallen Chicago Fire Department diver Juan Bucio at his funeral at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on June 4, 2018. E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune photo

The funeral procession for Chicago firefighter Juan Bucio, 46, drives up North Harlem Avenue on the way to Mount Auburn Cemetery on June 4, 2018, in Stickney. Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune photo

A casket bearing the body of Chicago Fire Department diver Juan Bucio, 46, is carried on June 4, 2018, to a ladder truck after Bucio’s funeral at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on the South Side. Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune photo

A casket bearing the body of Chicago Fire Department diver Juan Bucio, 46, is hoisted on June 4, 2018, to a ladder truck after Bucio’s funeral at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on the South Side. Bucio died during a rescue attempt last week. Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune photo

The funeral procession for Chicago Fire Department diver Juan Bucio arrives on June 4, 2018, at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Stickney. Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune photo

Tags: Chicago FD diver dies after searching for missing boater, Chicago FD Firefighter/EMT-B Juan Bucio Badge Number 5115, Chicago Firefighter Juan Bucio LODD, chicagoareafire.com, fire department diver dies during rescue operation, fire department funeral, Funeral for Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Juan Bucio 6/4/18

Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Jun 4

Posted by Admin in Fire Department Funeral, LODD | Comments off

From CFDMedia on Twitter:

Funeral for Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Juan Bucio. 6/4/18

CFD Media photo

Tags: Chicago FD diver dies after searching for missing boater, Chicago FD Firefighter/EMT-B Juan Bucio Badge Number 5115, Chicago Firefighter Juan Bucio LODD, chicagoareafire.com, fire department diver dies during rescue operation, fire department funeral, Funeral for Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Juan Bucio 6/4/18

Chicago Fire Department Lodd Firefighter Juan Bucio (more)

Jun 4

Posted by Admin in Fire Department Funeral, Fire Department News, LODD | Comments off

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Two firetruck ladders hoisted an American flag into the air near the entrance of a Southwest Side church where mourners attended visitation Sunday for Juan Bucio, a Chicago Fire Department diver who died during a rescue attempt last week.

Bucio, who also served on the Chicago Police Department for several years, died May 28 while searching for a man who had fallen off a boat on the South Branch of the Chicago River near Ashland Avenue. The father of two young sons was separated from his partner for a brief period and pulled from the water before he was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital about two hours after the initial dive.

The cause of Bucio’s death remains unknown. Fire and police investigators are continuing to review the rescue attempt while autopsy results are pending from the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Bucio is survived by nine siblings, including a sister who is a member of the Chicago Police Department and a brother who is a member of the Chicago Fire Department.

When the public portion of the visitation closed about 6 p.m., hundreds of firefighters from across Illinois and the Midwest lined up on a grassy lawn outside the church to take part in the traditional walk-through. Officials estimated more than a thousand firefighters took part.

Mourners will return to the church at noon Monday for Bucio’s funeral. A full honors burial will follow at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 4101 S. Oak Park Ave. in Stickney.