Tabarak Al Najjar, 19, of Crestwood, Illinois, was found in the Cal Sag Channel near 131st Street and Pulaski Road in Alsip, Illinois, on Tuesday afternoon April 14, 2026. Alsip Fire Department and Palos Heights Police Department crews responded around 4:30 p.m. after reports of a person in the water.
First responders located the young woman floating in the channel, pulled her aboard a rescue boat, and immediately began CPR. She was transported to a hospital but later pronounced dead despite lifesaving efforts. The Cal Sag Channel runs through southwest suburban Cook County and is bordered by industrial and residential areas in Alsip.
Emergency crews from the Alsip Fire Department worked alongside Palos Heights police to recover Tabarak Al Najjar from the Cal Sag Channel near 131st Street. A rescue boat reached her quickly in the waterway, and paramedics performed CPR on scene before rushing her to medical care. Despite their rapid response, she could not be revived. The area along the channel was secured while investigators examined the scene and gathered any available information from the surrounding banks and roadways in Alsip.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 19-year-old Tabarak Al Najjar of Crestwood. Limited details about her life have been publicly released, but the loss of such a young person has deeply affected her family and friends. The incident occurred in a section of the Cal Sag Channel that flows through Alsip, a suburban area known for its mix of residential neighborhoods and proximity to major roadways.
Alsip authorities and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the circumstances surrounding Tabarak Al Najjar’s death in the Cal Sag Channel near 131st Street. No foul play has been indicated at this time, and the case remains under review as officials determine the exact cause and manner of death. Detectives continue to seek any witnesses or surveillance footage from the area around the channel in Alsip.
The Alsip and Crestwood communities have been left saddened by the discovery of Tabarak Al Najjar in the Cal Sag Channel. Residents near 131st Street expressed shock over the tragedy in a waterway that borders local neighborhoods and parks. Family and friends have begun sharing tributes as the southwest suburbs process the loss of the 19-year-old on April 14, 2026.
