Man drowns at Brandon Road Quarry near Joliet

A man fishing at the Brandon Road Quarry near Joliet died Sunday night after apparently falling into the water.

Will County sheriff’s deputies were called out to the quarry, 1460 Brandon Road, at about 10:42 p.m. on a report 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 immediately responded to the call. Upon arriving, deputies spoke with the male witness who made the call about the drowning. He was located 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 when his friend accidentally fell over the side of the ledge from where they were fishing, according to the sheriff’s office.

The witness stated that he believed the ledge was about a seven- or eight-foot drop, and he attempted to help his friend by holding out a long branch for him to grab onto, according to the sheriff’s office. The 67-year-old said his friend attempted to grab the branch but was unable to hold on before going under water, according to the sheriff’s office.

The witness told deputies he did not have a cell phone 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 his friend had brought him, according to the sheriff’s office.

He also told deputies the sun was already going down at the time his friend 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 the victim alive, but were unsuccessful, according to the sheriff’s office.

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

The Will County Coroner’s Office pronounced the victim deceased at 3:53 a.m.

Initial reports from the sheriff’s office indicate that there were no signs of foul play.  An autopsy was to be performed sometime on Monday. The coroner’s office had not released victim’s name and official cause of death as of Monday evening.