The Catch of a Lifetime: A Burnham Harbor Rescue

Sometimes, life throws you a curveball when you least expect it. For a tight-knit group of lifelong fishermen known as the Pipe Rats, a relaxing evening of fishing turned into a dramatic, high-stakes rescue at Chicago’s Burnham Harbor on November 4th.

Dale Rehus and three friends were doing what they’ve done for decades: fishing at “the Pipe,” located at the north end of Burnham Harbor. Beginning in September, salmon come into the Chicago harbors, and you can catch Chinook salmon from shore.

As darkness set in around 5:40 PM, a disoriented man approached the group. Moments after they pointed him toward the harbor exit, a large splash and cries for help cut through the quiet evening.

The Fishermen’s Quick Action

The man had walked right off the concrete wall and plunged into the frigid harbor water, which Dale estimates was a treacherous 13 feet below the shoreline. With no time to spare, the Pipe Rats instantly transitioned from anglers to first responders.

As Dale later posted on the Chicago Salmon and Trout Shore Anglers group on Facebook, “One minute you’re fishing, the next you’re saving a guy from drowning.” They quickly grabbed their longest-handled net—a critical piece of gear—and ran to the edge. One fisherman lay on the concrete, holding the fully extended net to support the man’s head, keeping his face just an inch above the water. Dale grasped his fellow fisherman’s belt loops, ensuring he didn’t get pulled over the edge. The men whistled and shouted, catching the attention of Chicago Police Department officers bicycling in the distance, who immediately responded.

Captain Lisa Dixon: The Right Place, The Right Time

Keeping the man afloat was only half the battle; getting him out of the 13-foot drop was another challenge entirely, especially with no usable nearby ladders. Enter Captain Lisa  Dixon.

Captain Lisa, one of Chicago’s few 100-ton female captains, was in Burnham Harbor on a fluke. Had the Chicago Locks not been closed for the day, she would have already completed the delivery of Steve Dahmen‘s boat. But since the Locks were closed for maintenance, she decided to stage the boat in Burnham Harbor until they reopened. As she backed out of a slip, she heard the frantic screams: “Man in the water! We need help!”

She saw the fisherman lying flat on his stomach, straining to hold a net, while police officers swept the water with their flashlights. The scene was chaotic, and at first, she couldn’t see the man in the water. Captain Lisa shouted, “Is the person breathing? Is he secure?”

“I was figuring out what kind of rescue this was going to be,” notes Captain Lisa. “As I got closer, I could see a man in the water, and his head was inside the net.”

Quickly formulating a plan, Lisa took charge. The Chicago Police Marine Unit and the Chicago Fire Department Dive Team were en route, but there wasn’t a moment to spare.

“I went into autopilot,” Captain Lisa recalls.

Captain Lisa nosed the boat up to the dock where her friend Dave Ong and Chicago police officers were standing. She told Dave, “I’m going to tie a line to the bow. You can’t let this line go because I’m turning my motors off. You’re going to push us backward toward him, and when he’s safely onboard, you’ll pull us back.”

Next, Captain Lisa addressed the officers, telling them she needed two on board. She helped them climb onto the bow of the boat. Dave positioned the boat so it lined up with the man. From the pier, Dave and the other officers then pushed them backwards toward the victim.

The boat slowly drifted closer. Captain Lisa told Dave to stop once they were close enough. The two officers and Captain Lisa moved to the platform and grabbed the man by his clothes. Captain Lisa counted, “Are you ready, guys? 1, 2, 3,” and they lifted him out of the water onto the platform.

He was shaking and stiff from hypothermia. Captain Lisa reassured him he would be okay, cradled his head, and yelled for Dave to pull them back. Dave brought the boat to the dock, where paramedics were waiting with a stretcher. They transferred the man to the dock and then to a waiting ambulance.

The marine industry veteran known as “Diesel Dave” (Dave Ong) has been rebuilding engines and prioritizing vessel safety for five decades. He holds Captain Lisa in high regard: “Lisa is a great friend, and she’s definitely not afraid to get her hands dirty and jump right in there. People like her are hard to find.”

A True Team Effort and the Moral of the Story

The entire life-saving rescue unfolded in less than 20 minutes, and the man was rescued, thanks to the collaboration of:

• The Pipe Rats fishermen (Dale Rehus and friends), whose long-handled net was the crucial first tool.
• Captain Lisa Dixon and Dave Ong, whose quick thinking and boat maneuverability provided the extraction platform.
• The Chicago Police Department secured the scene and assisted with the pull-out.
• The Chicago Fire Department Dive Team assembled and on standby to dive, had the rescue not gone perfectly.
• The Chicago Police Marine Unit, which arrived on site to offer support.        

Captain Lisa reflected, “Everything happens for a reason… God put me there.” The boat’s owner, Diversey Yacht Club Commodore Steve Dahmen, echoed this sentiment, calling Captain Lisa a hero while downplaying his boat’s unexpected role in the rescue.

Dale Rehus takes a deep breath, noting that the area in Burnham Harbor is no longer the best for fishing, but “we go back to the places we know to see the people we have been fishing with for years.” Dale laughed as he described seeing a 40-inch Northern Pike swimming near the struggling man: “The fish was teasing us.”

The true moral of the story, as Dale Rehus wisely notes? Always bring a long-handled net. And sometimes, the connections we make in our “cheaper than therapy” fishing spots are the same ones that lead to acts of profound heroism.

Oh, and Captain Lisa completed the boat delivery to Forest View Marina that evening. The gates were open and the lights green when she arrived at the Chicago Harbor Lock. It seemed the universe itself had decided to offer Captain Lisa a small but perfect reward for her heroic efforts.

#HeroicRescue #ChicagoFishermen #BoatingSafety #CaptainLisa #BurnhamHarbor

Do you have a fascinating rescue story? Or would you like to know more about Captain Lisa Dixon’s work educating boaters, and especially empowering women boaters? Feel free to drop us a line.