A worker remains missing after becoming trapped in an Illinois sewer alongside a colleague as a severe storm slammed the state on Monday, according to authorities.
The pair of contractors became cornered by rising stormwaters in a sewer beneath the street in Downers Grove just before 1 p.m. as heavy rain pummeled the region, according to the Village of Downers Grove.
Their panicked coworkers flagged down cops at the construction site in the Chicago suburb.
Emergency responders quickly launched an all-out rescue operation and pulled one worker out of the sewer roughly 200 feet from its original point of entry, the Downers Grove Fire Department and city officials said.
The contractor was taken to a local hospital and is reported to be in good condition, authorities added.
The second worker remains missing, and officials said the search has transitioned from a rescue mission to a recovery mission due to “extremely dangerous” water conditions inside the sewer.
The search will resume once conditions inside the sewer finally improve and water recedes to a safe level, the department added.
Video captured by WGN News showed construction workers swarming the manhole as firefighters were lowered inside to search for the men. The rescuers were taken onto stretchers and evaluated as a precaution.
The sewer system collects runoff from the neighborhood’s surrounding streets, and can take hours or even an entire day for the water to clear out after a heavy storm, Fox 32 Chicago reported.
Rescuers are also monitoring for potentially toxic gases trapped inside the sewer system before heading back in, the outlet reported.
The terrifying incident occurred as a line of treacherous thunderstorms pounded Downers Grove, prompting a tornado warning for the county and causing localized flooding.
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