We now know who rescue crews are looking for.
It was on Tuesday evening that the Eau Claire Police Department was notified of a person in the Chippewa River near Domer Park. The initial information was a teenage male was swimming in the river and struggling. Officers and personnel from the Eau Claire Fire Department (ECFD) responded to the area and learned the teen and three acquaintances were jumping off the cliffs at Mount Simon Park into the Chippewa River.
The missing teen swam further into the river, became distressed and could be heard calling for help. Sight was lost of the missing teen and rescue personnel were immediately called. The missing teenager was identified as 17-year-old Williamefipanio Hessel. He is a student in the Eau Claire School district and the search efforts for Hessel are active and ongoing.
