Coroner IDs Fisherman Who Drowned At Brandon Road Quarry

JOLIET — A 65-year-old Joliet man died late Sunday night when he apparently fell into the dangerous Brandon Road Quarry at 1460 Brandon Road in Joliet Township. The Will County Sheriff's Department was called to the scene at 10:42 p.m.

Will County Coroner Laurie Summers has identified the drowning victim as Gregory McCallum.

According to the Will County Sheriff's Department, deputies were told that a man had fallen into the water and appeared to be drowning. More than two hours had passed before the man's friend was able to alert authorities to the emergency, Will County officials said.

East Joliet Fire was also called. Deputies also spoke with the man's friend, who was near a residence on Cecelia Avenue. The 67-year-old witness stated that he was fishing at the quarry with his 65-year-old friend when his friend accidentally fell over the side of the ledge they were fishing from.

The witness said he believed the ledge was about a seven or eight foot drop, and he tried to help his friend by grabbing a long branch for him to grab onto. His friend attempted to grab the branch, but was unable to hold onto it and disappeared under the water.

The witness said he did not have a cell phone and struggled to get out of the quarry to find help. He was lost, and he believed it was about two hours before he found his way out due to this being the first time he was fishing at this location, according to police.

He also said that at the time of the accident, the sun was already going down and that 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. At 2:52 a.m, East Joliet Fire Dive Team located the victim under the water a short distance from the fishing spot.

The Will County Coroner's Office pronounced the victim dead at 3:53 a.m. Initial reports indicate that there were no signs of foul play.