The body of a Catonsville man who disappeared Sunday under the surface of Liberty Reservoir in Finksburg was recovered today around noon by dive team members from the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore County Police, according to Maryland State Police spokesperson Greg Shipley.

Justin D. Oliver, 20, of the 4900 block of Wilkens Avenue, Catonsville, had been the subject of an intensive search by police, fire and rescue agencies. He was reported to have been illegally swimming with friends last Sunday when he went under water, and never returned to the surface, police said.

“The body was found in Liberty Reservoir in the cove area where the victim was last seen,” Shipley said. “The body was about 25 feet from shore and had been in an area that was 25 to 30 feet deep.

“The victim’s body will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death,” Shipley said.

A search of the reservoir was launched Sunday evening and continued all day Monday, with no results. The search included divers from the Gamber Fire Department and searchers from state police, as well as a helicopter from the State Police Aviation Command and search dogs from Mason Dixon Search and Rescue.

The search resumed Tuesday morning.

The reservoir is owned by Baltimore city and serves the city, Baltimore and Carroll counties. 

Shipley said swimming at the reservoir is particularly dangerous because “you can be standing on one level and then drop a significant distance.”

Kurt Kocher, spokesman for the Baltimore Department of Public Works, which is helping with the search, said in a telephone interview this afternoon that the strength of the water currents can also be deceptive.

“Because the lakes are unnatural, and you have water heading down these dams, you’re going to get strong currents that you wouldn’t in natural lakes,” Kocher said.

“Swimming in the reservoirs is illegal ... for good reasons. The law is in place to protect the public and to protect the reservoirs,” he said. “Hopefully, if everyone keeps this in mind, we can avoid future tragedies.”

Maryland State Police from the Westminster Barrack and members of the Gamber and Community Volunteer Fire Department had been initially called at 5:43 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, to the section of Liberty Reservoir off Deer Park Road near the Carroll and Baltimore county line.

At that time, fire and police rescue personnel were “told three friends had been jumping into the reservoir from rocks located in an area about one-half mile from the road,” according to Shipley.

Two of the friends decided to swim across a cove about 100 yards wide,” Shipley said

“One of them made it across. The other, identified as Oliver, said he was having difficulty making it across and was turning back,” Shipley said.

“On his way back to shore, his friends said Oliver disappeared under the water. Both friends swam into the area to search for him, but were unable to find him and notified authorities.”

Agencies involved in the searches, according to Shipley, “included State Police, Department of Natural Resources Police, Baltimore City police and fire departments, Baltimore County police and fire departments, Mason Dixon Search and Rescue, Baltimore Public Works Department and rescue units from the Gamber, Sykesville and Manchester Volunteer fire departments.

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