A 22-year-old worker has died after becoming trapped in a manhole in northwest suburban Streamwood Wednesday.
A construction crew was working to install a lining in a sanitary sewer under Park Boulevard near Parkside Circle throughout the day, but sometime after 6 p.m., about the time crews were set to quit for the day, one of the workers became trapped, authorities said.
A large emergency response was visible Wednesday night around the manhole as crews searched for the victim, closing Park Boulevard between Woodland and Streamwood Boulevard just after 7 p.m.
Firefighters crawled down a 22 inch-wide pipe, where they saw the worker's boots, but couldn't reach him because of a "large quantity of hardened lining material" blocking the pipe.
Saws were used to cut the blockage away and clear a path to the worker, but by the time they got through, hours later, authorities said the 22-year-old worker was found dead.
He was identified as Brett Morrow from Gurnee, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
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Neighbors said Benchmark Construction has been cleaning out and relining the storm sewer system in the area for days. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.
It remained unclear if Morrow was an employee of the company.
Police said the cause of death remains under investigation.
