Water Treatment Plant Employee Believed Drowned

ATLANTA — Emergency rescue workers were called to a water treatment plant Friday morning after an employee fell into a basin. Officials said they believe the man drowned.

Janet Ward of Atlanta Watershed Management told Channel 2 Action News reporter Jeff Dore at the scene that the employee was taking samples from an aeration basin at the R.M. Clayton plant off Bolton Road when he fell in at about 8:30 a.m.

PHOTOS: Water Treatment Plant

"It appears that we have had a fatal tragedy this morning," said Watershed commissioner Rob Hunter.

Hunter said no one saw the employee fall into the channel of sewage that leads from one treatment tank to another, but all signs point in that direction.

"His car was at that location. The sampling apparatus was there. It would be marvelous if it turned out he decided to get a cup of coffee, but I don't think that's the case. It appears from the configuration of the site that he, in fact, fell in the channel," said Hunter.

WATCH: Employee Feared Dead In Sewage

The R.M. Clayton plant treats sewage in stages. Where the employee appears to have fallen in, the water is churning with lots of air pumped into it, so much air that a person couldn't swim in it. Officials said they knew immediately they would not be able to perform a rescue.

"We're in recovery mode," Hunter said.

The plant is a long series of flowing channels and the water isn't clear in any of them. So officials can assume where he fell in, but they do not know where he is now, they said.

"There is protection (railings) in place. Obviously, it failed in this case," said Hunter.

WSBTV