Abdullahi Muya, Highland Park Reservoir in Rochester, NY.Photo:Rochester Police Department; Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
Rochester Police Department; Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
A man’s dead body was found and identified in a water supply in Rochester, N.Y., this week, Mayor Malik Evans said during a Thursdaypress conference.
Abdullahi Muya’s body was first found on Tuesday in the Highland Park Reservoir after his body remained in the water supply for 25 days. As a result of the discovery of the 29-year-old’s body, the city administered a temporary boil water advisory.
Evans explained that since then, there has been “diligent and continuous testing identifies no immediate concerns,” and the advisory has been lifted.
However, the “Water Bureau is beginning to empty out the reservoir, and the cleaning process will continue for several weeks,” Evans explained. He said that the city regularly cleans the reservoir, but they moved up the process from May to March. It is expected to take “at least eight weeks.”
Abdullahi Muya.Rochester Police Department
Rochester Police Department
Muya had been missing since February and was last seen on Feb. 18, according to theRochester Police Department. Upon the discovery of his body during the Water Bureau’s investigation, it was uncovered that he entered the reservoir’s gated spiked area on Feb. 24. “At approximately 6:30 a.m., he slid down the side of the reservoir into the water and tragically died,” said Evans.
“After entering the gated area, at approximately 6:30 a.m., Mr. Muya appears to have slid down the side of the reservoir, into the water, where he tragically died,” police said Thursday, perCBS News. “There was no one else present at the time of Mr. Muya’s death and their [sic] does not appear to be any criminal element to this investigation.”
Muya remained “well below the surface” of the 15-foot-deep body of water for just under a month, Evans said during the press conference. “He was up against the inlet structure in the shadows of the north side of the reservoir which one could draw from that that they did not see him the entire time that he was there,” Evans said.
Evans said that Muya was alone and that “it does not appear that there is any criminal element to this investigation.”
Rochester police are at the western end of the reservoir investigating the dead body found on March 19, 2024.Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
“I will tell you that we are working now to determine how we can address any gaps in security to ensure no physical breaches of the perimeter happen in the future,” Evans continued. “I’m very concerned that someone was able to breach that water system as it relates to the safety of our water.”
He said that the city will have further discussions regarding the federal requirement to cover water supplies. Evans explained that because the reservoir is not covered, the federal government requires “extreme strict guidelines in terms of the water quality and water testing.”
He explained that those conversations will “unfortunately” have to “resurface probably very soon.”
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A representative for Rochester Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Thursday.
source: people.com
