Mom found dead after infant saved in dramatic lake rescue
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A woman found dead in a St. Louis-area lake was identified Friday as the mother of an infant rescued hours earlier by a paramedic, who performed CPR on the hood of the submerged SUV in which the child was found floating shortly after a fatal fire erupted at their home.
The coroner in nearby Madison County, Illinois, released the information as investigators tried to untangle the events that preceded the death of the woman, 32-year-old Cristy Lynn Campbell.
Court records show they had a volatile relationship, with several reports of domestic violence.
About 15 minutes after the fire was reported, a passing motorist spotted an SUV driving down a hill and into Silver Lake in Highland, Illinois, about 16 miles from the fire scene.
Highland paramedic Todd Zobrist arrived quickly, jumped into the 46-degree water and swam 50 to 75 feet to the SUV, where he found the 3-month-old boy floating inside the car.