They fell into the icy river along Water Street near McClurg Court, close to the Riverwalk. Diver rescue teams responded and pulled two men -- ages 23 and 26-- from the water and transported them to area hospitals. The 26-year-old man from St. Paul, Minnesota, died later at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The 23-year-old man remained in stable condition at St. Joseph Hospital.
The third person, a 21-year-old woman, is still missing. She is presumed dead. Authorities resumed their search for her at daybreak, calling it a recovery mission.
"We continued efforts for over an hour, rotating divers, searched for the final victim, were unsuccessful, and now the scene is turned over to the Chicago police for recovery," said Linda Parsons of the Chicago Fire Department.
Police say the 26-year-old man jumped a fence to try to retrieve a cell phone. He fell into the river, and the two others went in to try to help him.
"And my friend said he heard a yell [for] help, you know. At first I didn't believe it, so we still kept walking this way to keep sightseeing. As we got closer, he heard it again and I heard it again, too. And as we got closer, we yelled out, 'Where you at?'" witness Luis said. "I kept saying who was he with? And they said he had a friend and girlfriend, too, that went under the water, but he couldnt find her. We called the police."
The victims names have not been released.
