But suddenly Kassou could be heard crying out for help and Ali, also a good swimmer, went into the water to try to rescue him and both men drowned about 25 feet from shore.



A day after their deaths, as arrangements are being made to send their bodies back to Morocco, family members still can't believe what has transpired. They feel as though they are in a horror movie.



Bouchra Kassou described her husband as a very active person. In addition to having been a lifeguard, he was ex-military and a black belt in judo, she said.



As she mourned her loss in an apartment in Oak Lawn, several women arrived to help console her. They embraced, and the women whispered words of comfort in her ear.