Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Ronald Lemar |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Pilot |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 36 to 40 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 8/13/1975 |
| Cause of Death | Vehicle collision |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | Drowning |
| Type of Duty | Air rescue operations , Training duties , Water rescue operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 8/13/1975 |
| Incident Location | Water/Waterfront |
| Incident Attribute | Training accidents , Aircraft accidents |
Incident Summary
On August 13, 1975, Chicago Fire Department Pilot Ronald Lemar died in the line of duty when his helicopter crashed during a training exercise on Lake Michigan. Lemar and co-pilot Rudolph Allegrucci were flying a Bell G-17, pontoon-equipped helicopter during an air-sea rescue demonstration in which they “rescued” Diver Charles Thiel, who was in the water pretending to be a swimmer in distress. The pilots landed the helicopter on the water, and Allegrucci helped Thiel climb onto the pontoon on the right side of the aircraft. When the helicopter tried to take off, the right pontoon dragged in the water and caused the helicopter to tilt. The rotor blade hit the water and the helicopter was flipped upside down and caught fire. Thiel and Allegrucci were able to escape to a nearby fireboat that was there to witness the demonstration, but Lemar suffered fatal head injuries in the crash.
Citation:
John O’Brien and Jon Van, “Copter crash in lake kills fireman; 2 hurt,” Chicago Tribune, August 14, 1975.
“Air-sea rescue demonstration ends in disaster,” Chicago Tribune, August 14, 1975.
Firefighter and Incident Images
