World enews: Search underway for three people swept into Milwaukee drainage ditch

Three people are still missing in Milwaukee after authorities said two men jumped into a drainage ditch to try rescue an 11-year-old.

The boy was playing football on Monday night in Loomis, a suburb of Milwaukee, when he somehow ended-up in the drainage ditch nearby, CBS58 reported.

Two men, including the boy’s father and uncle, jumped into the drainage ditch in a rescue attempt but were swept away by the stream, which serves the Kinnickinnic River.

Authorities described the ditch as having a “swift” current and that rain storms had recently passed through Wisconsin.

“It was swift water,” said DeWayne Smoots, assistant Milwaukee fire chief, to reporters . “If anybody knows about rapids, the water is fast. You can’t control your surroundings, makes it unsafe for anyone to venture in to do any search whatsoever because the water was moving so fast.”

Rescuers paused searching overnight but will continue on Tuesday, with rescuers working from upstream to downstream.