Brothers Save Mom and Son From Icy Illinois Lake

When Cody Delatorre got an emergency alert about people trapped in an icy lake just up his street, he grabbed what he had and ran toward danger.

The off-duty firefighter arrived at Lake Killarney in Cary, Illinois, on January 13 to find a mother and teenage son struggling in freezing water 50 to 75 feet from shore. They had fallen through the ice while heading out to fish, and time was running out.

Cody spotted his brother Ben, also an off-duty firefighter, on the street above. The two brothers sprang into action, grabbing an extension cord from Cody's backseat as their lifeline.

Ben crawled onto the cracking ice on his knees to spread his weight. When he reached the victims, the teenage boy was barely keeping his head above water. "I don't know how much longer I have," the teen said.

Ben grabbed the boy by his collar and pulled him to safety. Meanwhile, Cody went after the mother but fell into the frigid water himself during the attempt.

By then, the fire department had arrived. Fellow firefighter Kyler Ochab suited up and joined the brothers to complete the rescue. The entire operation took just eight minutes from the first emergency call.

The mother and son were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries. A neighbor who had also jumped in to help was treated as well. All three are expected to make full recoveries.

Why This Inspires

The Delatorre brothers didn't have rescue gear or backup when they arrived. They had an extension cord, their training, and each other. That was enough.

Their instinct to help didn't wait for perfect conditions or the right equipment. When Ben heard his brother might need help pulling two people from the water alone, he didn't hesitate. When Cody saw someone drowning, he dove in even knowing he could end up needing rescue himself.

On February 23, the Cary Fire Protection District honored all three men with the Milton A. Neeley Lifesaving Award. The recognition celebrates what they already knew: sometimes being in the right place means choosing to be there, even when it's dangerous.

The brothers show us that heroism often looks like ordinary people making split-second choices to put others first.