ROCHESTER, NY – City officials in Rochester, NY disclosed on Thursday that the body discovered earlier this week in one of the city’s drinking water reservoirs was a local who had been missing for nearly a month. The unsettling finding triggered a provisional boil water recommendation for residents.
The discovery was made in the Highland Park Reservoir on Tuesday around 8 a.m., according to Rochester Mayor, Malik Evans. On identifying the body, the reservoir was immediately removed from the city’s water supply network. Evans reassured that water safety tests had thus far found no anomalies.
“Out of an abundance of caution we have issued a boil water advisory. The reservoir will not be back in service until it has been drained and cleaned,” Evans stated.
Authorities identified the deceased as 29-year-old Abdullahi Muya, a Rochester inhabitant reported missing since February. The last sighting of Muya was reported on February 18. Investigations revealed that Muya’s body had likely been in the water for almost a month after he breached a gated area on February 24.
Following Muya’s entrance into the restricted area around 6:30 a.m., he seems to have slid down the side of the reservoir into the water, where he tragically lost his life, the police reported. No foul play appears to be involved in the sad event.
The reservoir, with a depth of 15 feet, concealed the body well below its surface. This could possibly explain why it went unnoticed for so long.
In response to this incident, the city is spearheading efforts to prevent similar future occurrences. The Highland Park Reservoir is expected to resume operations slowly over several months following a thorough cleanup and refill process.