Updated story
The body presumed to be that of the 21-year-old Minnesota woman who fell into the Chicago River along with two friends Monday has been found.
A woman's body, believed to be University of Minnesota honors student Lauren Li, was recovered by the Chicago Police Department’s marine unit around 1 p.m. Wednesday, the Tribune reports. Previous attempts to recover the woman's body had been suspended due to worsening conditions on the river.
The man who died after falling into the frigid Chicago River early Monday was identified Tuesday as twenty-six-year-old Ken Hoang of St. Paul, Minn.
Hoang and two friends fell into the river while Hoang was reportedly trying to retrieve a dropped cell phone. The lone survivor, a 23-year-old man, was released from the hospital Wednesday.
Hoang's younger brother, David, lamented to the Tribune from the family's Minnesota home that the tragedy was "such a waste of life."
Family said the three friends were on a road trip to New Jersey but had stopped in Chicago for a short visit. The lone survivor told police Hoang was taking photos of the river when he dropped his cellphone onto the ice, stepped down to grab it and fell in, the Tribune reports.
Witness Jose Cuevas, who was taking a walk near the river after catching a late-night movie, heard the party's cries for help.
“Please hurry, my friend is dying. Please, I can't hold on any longer,” Cuevas told the Tribune, describing what he heard. “My girlfriend is in the water, and I don't know where she's at.''
Tuesay, police said visibility in the icy water was near zero during Monday's recovery attempt, ABC Chicago reports.
Meanwhile, Hoang's family has started a memorial fund, according to News 5 in Minnesota.