A contractor remains missing after becoming trapped in a sewer system in Downers Grove, Illinois, on Monday, alongside a colleague who was later rescued. The incident occurred as severe thunderstorms deluged the region, causing localized flooding and prompting a tornado warning for the county.
The two workers were inside a sewer beneath a street in the Chicago suburb just before 1 p.m. when they became caught in rising stormwaters, according to the Village of Downers Grove.
Panicked coworkers alerted authorities at the construction site. Emergency responders initiated a rescue operation and successfully pulled one contractor from the sewer approximately 200 feet from his original location. The rescued worker was transported to a local hospital and is reported to be in good condition.
Due to extremely dangerous water conditions and the persistent flow within the sewer, the search for the second worker has transitioned from a rescue mission to a recovery effort. The Downers Grove Fire Department stated that the search will resume once conditions inside the sewer improve and the water recedes to a safe level.
Video footage from the scene showed construction workers and firefighters gathered around the manhole. Rescuers who entered the sewer were brought out on stretchers and evaluated as a precautionary measure.
The sewer system is designed to collect neighborhood runoff and can take many hours, or even up to a full day, to fully clear after a significant storm. Officials are also monitoring for potentially toxic gases trapped within the sewer system before rescue efforts can safely continue.