This story has been updated: Police: Pittsfield Township man drowned in Huron River

Authorities were searching for what they called a possible drowning victim in an area of the Huron River near Ypsilanti on Sunday.

The incident took place shortly before 4:52 a.m. at the railroad trestle east of Superior Road. The missing person was described only as being in his early 20s.

"My initial description was that there were six young adults," Ypsilanti Fire Capt. Scott Maddison said. "They were on the railroad trestle over the Huron River there…. they all jumped into the water at the same time. They exited the water and they realized that there was one person still missing. They heard him call for help."

Maddison said one of the members of the group reportedly worked as a lifeguard and entered the water to assist the swimmer.

"We're speculating that he may have got disoriented," Maddison said of the missing man. "(The lifeguard) went out to assist him, he started panicking."

The lifeguard was unable to retrieve the swimmer and, exhausted, had to swim back to the bridge and exit the water, Maddison said. The missing man's friends then dialed 911.

The man had been in the water an estimated 20 minutes when firefighters called in members of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office dive team, Maddison said.

A message was left with Sheriff's Office spokesman Derrick Jackson.

Dive team members and the Superior Township Fire Department were still on the scene late Sunday morning.

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