JOLIET (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A 39-year-old man drowned in the Des Plaines River after an attempted rescue by first responders in Joliet.
It was the second drowning in the far southwest suburb in two days, officials said.
According to Joliet police, officers responded to the Jackson Street bridge around 7 p.m., after receiving calls about a man in the water.
Upon arrival, responders spotted him in the river and tried to pull him out, but he submerged under water and didn’t resurface, police said.
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Divers from the Joliet and Plainfield fire departments, as well as a boat from the United States Coast Guard, responded to the scene, and at approximately 9:40 p.m., officers discovered a man’s body in the water.
The Will County coroner’s office hasn’t released his name. The incident remains under investigation.
Another person jumped into the river on Sunday, but crews were unable to locate a body, according to Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey.
A bridge tender at Cass Street Bridge heard splashing in the water but couldn’t see anyone, Blaskey said. There were foot prints in the snow leading to the edge of the water, he said.
Divers were called about 6:20 p.m. and searched the river for four hours, but couldn’t find anyone.
Blaskey said he’s never responded to two consecutive drownings in two days in his 34 years in the department.
The department will continue searching for a body, he said Tuesday.
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