A worker employed by the Village of Downers Grove's pipe rehabilitation contractor was found dead in a storm sewer Tuesday, July 28, after a 28-hour search that began when two crew members became trapped underground during Monday's severe storms.
The Village confirmed the death in a press release dated July 28. The deceased worker was employed by Vortex Lining Systems LLC of Houston, Texas, which has held a Village contract for a large-diameter pipe rehabilitation capital project since 2025. The Village has not released either worker's name.
No named Village official made an on-record statement beyond the press release.
As we reported Monday, two Vortex crew members became trapped in the storm sewer beneath the 800 block of Curtiss Street at approximately 12:50 p.m. on Monday, July 27. A coworker flagged down Downers Grove police officers, and the fire department launched a technical rescue.
By 3:15 p.m. Monday, firefighters and assisting agencies pulled one crew member from the sewer roughly 200 feet from the entry point. He was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in good condition.
As we reported Monday evening, the operation shifted from rescue to recovery at approximately 8:30 p.m. Monday. The Village cited hazardous conditions inside the sewer, including high water levels and potentially toxic gases, as the reason for the transition. Crews worked through the night. At approximately 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, responders located the second worker in the sewer near Washington Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The DuPage County Coroner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death.
The capital project
The pipe rehabilitation project targets an 11-foot-wide concrete pipe installed in the 1960s that carries St. Joseph Creek and stormwater beneath downtown Downers Grove near the Civic Center, village officials told Fox 32 Chicago. Officials previously said crews had completed lining the pipe up to Curtiss and Belden avenues, the area where Monday's incident occurred, with work expected to continue west toward the Civic Center and parking deck.
The multi-year project has faced weather-related delays. Recent heavy rainfall slowed cleaning, debris removal, and installation of a new liner inside the pipe, Fox 32 reported.
What comes next
The Village's press release offered no information about whether the pipe rehabilitation project has been suspended. Under federal law, employers must report a work-related fatality to OSHA within eight hours; whether OSHA has opened a formal investigation of Vortex Lining Systems or the Village's project oversight has not been confirmed.
The Village said in its statement that its thoughts are with the crew members, their families, and everyone at Vortex Lining Systems.
The contract value for the Vortex project has not been publicly disclosed. Residents with questions about the capital project can contact Village Hall at 630-434-5500.
