Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Thomas McKnight |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 51 to 55 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 8/23/1963 |
| Cause of Death | Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma , Asphyxiation |
| Attribute of Death | Equipment failure , Drowning |
| Type of Duty | Hose operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 8/23/1963 |
| Incident Location | Water/Waterfront |
| Incident Attribute | Boating/Diving accidents |
Incident Summary
On August 23, 1963, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Thomas McKnight of Engine 37 drowned while serving on the fire boat Joseph Medill. McKnight was knocked overboard while he and other firefighters were spraying streams of colored water into the air during a lakefront parade celebrating Venetian Night. Other crewmembers were unsure of how McKnight ended up in the water, but investigations suggested that he was knocked unconscious by a broken hose connection.
Citation:
“Crew Member of a Fireboat Falls, Drowns,” Chicago Daily Tribune, August 2, 1963.
Firefighter and Incident Images
