Severe storms lead to rescue mission, homes damaged in western suburbs
Rescue crews in Downers Grove are still searching for a contractor who got swept up in a storm sewer during the first round of severe storms on Monday afternoon.
Rescue crews with at least half a dozen west suburban fire departments were seen diving headfirst into the sewer near downtown Downers Grove in search of two contractors who became trapped in the storm sewers.
Just before 1 p.m., police officers were flagged down by the contractors at the storm sewer at Curtiss and Washington. The workers told them two of their contractors were trapped in the sewer below street level.
"We didn't really know what they were doing, but they were working in that sewer for like two months," said resident Mike Lane.
Around 3 p.m., neighbors took video showing one of the contractors being wheeled into an ambulance after they were rescued.
Officials, however, say the other worker is still missing.
"Honestly, I thought it sounded like those Thai kids in the cave. I thought this was going to be like a movie or something. I mean it is like the scariest thing ever," Lane said.
Also in the western suburbs, homes in Glen Ellyn were severely damaged after the afternoon storms ripped through. One tree was uprooted and fell onto an over 100-year-old home just off Main Street.
"My phone went off that there was a tornado warning, and I immediately grabbed my daughter and our two dogs and went on our way to running down the stairs," said Alicia Skodol.
She says her daughter was in the bedroom where the tree came toppling down just seconds before they ran into the basement.
"We could hear things moving around upstairs while we were in the basement, so we just knew something was going on, then we heard water," she said.
Down the block, another tree came down on a home just days after neighbors say the homeowners got a new roof.
Back in Downers Grove, neighbors say they hope the hours-long search ends with a positive outcome.
"It's just terrible, terrible. And I hope they find them all," Lane said.
The village said that the dangerous water conditions on Monday made it difficult to continue the search efforts for the missing worker. They say the search will resume when the conditions are safe.
