St Paul man: ” I lost two good friends. “

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The University of Minnesota man who survived after he and two others fell into the icy Chicago River says he lost two good friends in the ordeal.

Quoc-Viet Phan Hoang  was rescued from the river Monday and was expected to be released from Presence St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago Wednesday. Hoang is a 23-year-old senior from Vadnais Heights. He issued a statement through the hospital that says one of his friends died in his arms and he saw the other drift away. Hoang says he's never felt so helpless.

Twenty-six-year-old Ken Hoang, of St. Paul, was pronounced dead after he was pulled from the river Monday. Chicago police divers are expected to resume their search for Hoang's other friend, a 21-year-old woman, Wednesday.