Body Found in Rochester Reservoir

Government officials in Rochester, New York, recently found the body of a missing person in a reservoir. This reservoir supplies drinking water to residents.

Officials in Rochester, New York, said the dead body found in a reservoir that supplies drinking water to residents earlier this week was a missing person who had been in the water for just under a month. https://t.co/VRfjOuP4ld

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 21, 2024

CBS News adds the statement from Rochester Mayor Malik Evans:

Mayor Malik Evans said at a press conference that officials discovered the body in the Highland Park Reservoir Tuesday at around 8 a.m.

“Our testing has shown no issues,” Evans said. “…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.”

Despite the body’s prolonged exposure to the reservoir, Evans said on Thursday that water quality tests ordered by the county “confirmed the safety of the water supply.” The boil water advisory has also been lifted.

“Our own data collected in the weeks and months prior to that mirrored those findings,” Evans said, saying he drank some of the city’s water this morning. “As I have always touted, the quality of our water wins awards regularly. So our water was never in question.”

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This discovery is disturbing to say the least, as the reservoir is supposedly inspected daily. Despite this, the body was found by the Rochester Water Bureau workers in the north side of the reservoir after a month on the missing persons list.

Abduhahi Muya has been reported missing to the RPD. He is a 29-year-old male who was last seen in the area of Van Aucker St. on Feb. 18th, 2024.
Height: 5’7’’
Weight: 160-170lbs
dark complexion, black hair, brown eyes, and a beard. Anyone with information Please call 911. pic.twitter.com/jxzmGpGlfk

— Rochester NY Police (@RochesterNYPD) March 11, 2024

Abdullahi Muya was last seen on February 18th, and was officially reported missing on March 9th.

13 ABC News goes into detail about the missing person:

Evans said Muya entered a gated area at the reservoir Feb. 24 around 6:30 a.m., slid down the side of the reservoir into the water and died. Police said no one else was present and Muya’s death doesn’t appear to be criminal in nature.

Evans said the area is patrolled by cameras, with heat and motion sensors, as well as city security and Water Bureau personnel — but Muya’s body went undetected for 24 days.

“This reservoir is extremely deep — 15 feet deep — and the body was well below the surface,” Evans said. “Reflection waves and shadows at the specific location can obscure the view of the bottom.”

This discovery led to schools being shut down and even forcing a boil advisory to residents.

Rochester schools shut down, residents told to boil water after 'adult male' body found in local reservoir https://t.co/TSX74kyDfz via @nypost

— Patriot Preparedness (@PPN_2017) March 21, 2024

The advisory was lifted shortly after once the water was tested.

The boil water notice that had been in effect for a portion of Rochester following the discovery of a deceased individual within the Highland Park Reservoir has been lifted. For more detailed information, please visit https://t.co/8ERvD0FbhK. pic.twitter.com/YXAlz545to

— City of Rochester NY (@CityRochesterNY) March 21, 2024

This led to many people show their disgust on X:

pic.twitter.com/L0xWxulpVR

— Canuckistani ن🇨🇦 (@Canuckistani1) March 21, 2024

So nearly for an entire month there was a body in the Rochester water reservoir?!

— sheri 🦬 (@sheriistired) March 21, 2024

Dude slips into the water unnoticed for weeks.
ZERO protections in place!
Water quality HAD to show signs of infiltration!
This was/is terrorism!
Shame on all of you! #SueIntoOblivion #TrumpTower #LetitiaJames

— Miggen (@trckern) March 21, 2024

Cover your reservoir, the EPA told Rochester and many cities years ago. Keep bird poo, dead animals and more out of the drinking water. Why was it not covered? The D&C investigates.
https://t.co/1OaYXyGOzv pic.twitter.com/RfjG7bzUJb

— Democrat & Chronicle (@DandC) March 19, 2024

While the police have officially ruled the death an accident, somebody should be checking on how the body was able to sit in a regulated area for so long without being noticed, especially in an area that people rely on on a daily basis.