Authorities are continuing their search Sunday near suburban Melrose Park for a boy who jumped from a bridge into the Des Plaines River on Saturday and did not emerge.
Three boys all reportedly jumped together from a railroad bridge in the Thatcher Woods area, but only two surfaced, according to a spokesperson for the village of Melrose Park.
The bridge is in the Thatcher Woods behind the Lincoln College of Technology in Melrose Park and is owned by Canadian National Railway Co. Railway spokesman Patrick Waldron said “three teens” jumped into the river around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
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The Chicago Fire Department and Illinois State Police were called to assist in the search later Saturday evening, officials said.
Waldron said the Melrose Park Fire Department is leading a “multijurisdictional recovery effort” to search for the boy. Emergency responders from Melrose Park, Cook County Forest Preserves, Cook County sheriff’s office, Illinois State Police, Lyons Township and the American Red Cross were on the scene when the search resumed Sunday morning.
Boats were seen surveying the waterway south of Roosevelt Road. Police K-9 units were also assisting the search. Chicago police helicopters could be seen surveying the area as well. An official said the search was suspended late Sunday afternoon.
The boy’s identity has not been released. A woman who identified herself as the sister of the missing boy said that her brother’s friends who were with him are now home and safe. A man who identified himself as an older brother said the missing boy is 16 years old.
A tall barbed-wire fence lines the train tracks leading to the bridge. Several large holes from fallen trees and other disrepair could be seen in the fencing.
Scott Manno, who said he is a family friend of one of the boys, said the bridge is a popular hangout for teenagers in the area.