Family of Boy Lost on Lake Recounts Harrowing Night

Leslie and Jay Alter described July 10 as the longest night of their lives. They spent it on a beach in Door County, WI, hoping to learn that their lost 9-year-old son was safe, according to an article in TribLocal.

Tommy Alter, of Highland Park, spent more than 12 hours lost on Lake Michigan with his aunt and 9-year-old cousin that night after the trio went kayaking and were unable to make it back. They were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard the next morning, suffering from nothing worse than mild hypothermia.

The Alters credit Tommy’s aunt with tying the two kayaks together and making sure the boys both had good-fitting life jackets on, the article says. They were cold, but passed the night singing songs and watching for shooting stars.

They are also deeply thankful to the U.S. Coast Guard crew that performed the rescue and threw a pizza party for them Tuesday at Chicago’s Executive Airport, according to another TribLocal article. Tommy brought along a Lego version of the Coast Guard helicopter that rescued him, which he’d built, to show the crew.

You can read the TribLocal article about the rescue here.

You can read the TribLocal article about the pizza party here.