Father says he called for welfare check before 2 children pulled from Lake Michigan
By Darius Johnson
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Illinois (WBBM) — A grieving father is speaking out after his two young children were found dead in Lake Michigan on Saturday.
The bodies of one-year-old Jream Washington and six-year-old Wyatt Payton were pulled from Lake Michigan on Chicago’s South Side.
Investigators also found a 31-year-old woman, identified by family as the father’s ex-girlfriend. She has not been identified by the Medical Examiner.
On Sunday night, the father told CBS News Chicago he’s trying to cope with an unimaginable loss.
He said he called for a welfare check the night before his children were found dead.
“She was too young to go. She didn’t even explore,” The children’s father, Brandon Washington, said. “She didn’t even see the world, or my little dude, he didn’t even see it. So it’s hurt that they got the same birthday and the same end date.”
Tuesday at 6 p.m., family and friends plan to release balloons in honor of the two children at the 57th Street lakefront. Washington said the balloon release is his way of keeping their memory alive.
The Medical Examiner lists all three causes of death as pending.
Police have not released further details.
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