Man identified in Brandon Road Quarry drowning in Joliet Township

The man who drowned in the Brandon Road Quarry near Joliet on Sunday night has been identified.

Gregory A. McCallum, 65, was pronounced dead at 3:53 a.m. Monday at the Brandon Road Quarry in the 1400 block of Brandon Road in Joliet Township, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

McCallum apparently drowned after falling into the water, the coroner’s office said.

Will County sheriff’s deputies were called out to the quarry about 10:42 p.m. Sunday after a report that a man had fallen into the water and appeared to be drowning, according to the sheriff’s office.

East Joliet Fire Protection District personnel also responded to the call. Upon arriving, deputies spoke with the male witness who made the call about the drowning. He was found near a residence on Cecelia Avenue, according to the sheriff’s office.

The 67-year-old witness told deputies that he was fishing at the quarry with his 65-year-old male friend, now identified as McCallum, when his friend accidentally fell over the side of the ledge from where they were fishing, according to the sheriff’s office.

The witness said that he believed the ledge was about a 7- or 8-foot drop, and he tried to help McCallum by holding out a long branch for him to grab onto, according to the sheriff’s office. The 67-year-old said McCallum tried to grab the branch but was unable to hold on before going underwater, according to the sheriff’s office.

The witness told deputies that he did not have a cellphone and struggled to get out of the quarry to find help. He said he was lost, and that he believed it was about two hours before he found his way out, according to the sheriff’s office.

The witness said it was the first time he had been fishing at this location, and that McCallum had brought him, according to the sheriff’s office.

He also told deputies that the sun already was going down at the time McCallum had fallen, and this added to his difficulty in finding his way out.

Sheriff’s deputies and the witness returned to the area where the two men’s fishing poles and bucket still remained. As fire personnel requested their dive team, sheriff’s deputies activated a drone to search the water and shorelines in hopes of finding McCallum alive, but they were unsuccessful, according to the sheriff’s office.

At 2:52 a.m. Monday, the East Joliet Fire Protection District dive team found McCallum under the water a short distance from the fishing spot, according to the sheriff’s office.

Initial reports from the sheriff’s office indicate that there were no signs of foul play. An autopsy was performed Monday. Final cause and manner will be determined after the autopsy, as well as police and toxicological reports.