3 workers in Columbia City sewer manhole die after being trapped 20 feet down

Just before 9 a.m.

Police and firefighters in Columbia City responded to the 464 South Main St.

Regarding three workers who were trapped in a manhole.

They later died at the scene.

At the end of this month.

Three men are dead after being trapped nearly 20 feet below the surface of a sewer in columbia city.

Fox 55's brianna dahlquist was on the scene and has more on the rescue effort.

A life-saving mission turns into a recovery."unfortunately, it was not a good outcome."

Three men trapped 20 feet beneath the surface on south main street found in about five feet of water."it was a manhole, about a 18-25 inch manhole.

All three were at the bottom of that and with that, i'd really not like to give any further" mayor ryan daniel says the men were independent contractors working on the city's long term control plan.fire chief tom larue says they responded just before 9 in an attempt to pull them out.after trying to rescue the workers, authorities realized that it had now turned into a different mission.

"unfortunately, it was a recovery and it was just a bad situation for everybody."

Fort wayne's technical rescue team arrived and extricated the men.

Emts started life-saving procedures but all three were pronounced dead at the scene.

"three fatalities, the cause of death is to be determined by the coroner.

The death notifications have been made and further investigation by the coroner's office is underway."

Larue says first responders from fort wayne, whitley county, and the state police all did what they could "we did notify fw city for assistance for the confined space rescue and they helped with that along with the columbia city police department, whitley county police department and the state police.

I'd like to thank everyone for their efforts today but unfortunately it was not a good outcome.

In columbia city, i'm brianna dahlquist.

Fox 55 news.