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CHICAGO (WLS) — A local family is mourning a father who died after falling off a personal watercraft Thursday near Chicago’s Navy Pier.
The sister of the man who died, 52-year-old Hosam Jadrawi, spoke exclusively with ABC7 Friday.
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The incident happened around 4 p.m. Thursday in Lake Michigan near the 900 block of East Grand Avenue downtown, Chicago police said.
Jadrawi was riding a personal watercraft when he fell into Lake Michigan, police said. He was pulled from the water by CFD crews and was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Jadrawi’s sister, Nancy Karan, says that one of Jadrawi’s two sons, who are in their 20s, tried to save him after the watercraft flipped over.
“My brother’s not a swimmer, he doesn’t know how to swim, so my nephew’s holding him,” Karan said. “With the waves, it hit the rocks, so both of their heads are slamming against the rocks. My brother lost [consciousness] and he drowned… he died in his son’s arms.”
The man had just celebrated his 52nd birthday on Tuesday, she said.

No further information was immediately available as Chicago police continue to investigate.
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