Bay City News Service—A man who was found dead in a water-filled rock quarry behind an Oakland shopping center after he went looking for his cat has been identified as 59-year-old Andrew Malyon, of Oakland.
Oakland fire Battalion Chief Emon Usher said firefighters searched for Malyon for hours before a dive team located him at 12:42 a.m. Wednesday at the bottom of the water-filled quarry in the 4400 block of Montgomery Street, behind the Rockridge Shopping Center.
The Alameda County sheriff's dive team recovered Malyon's body from the bottom of the quarry, about 30 feet below the water's surface, Usher said. Malyon was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene, apparently from drowning, according to Usher.
He said Malyon was reported missing at about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday by a friend who said he had gone looking for his cat near the quarry and had not returned home.
Usher said Malyon lives on the edge of the quarry and was searching for his cat in the rain, and that authorities presume that he slipped and fell into the water, which is surrounded by steep dropoffs.
Some workers searched the water while others rappelled down the hillside as a California Highway Patrol helicopter used lights to illuminate the area, Usher said. Crews didn't immediately find Malyon, though they did see his cat walking on the hillside, Usher said.
The sheriff's dive team then took over the search and eventually found Malyon, he said. Usher said he believes Oakland police are investigating the case. Police did not return calls Wednesday morning.
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