Man falls to his death in Oakland quarry

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The body of an Oakland man was recovered by a dive team early this morning. He lost his life searching for his beloved cat. The man fell into a water-filled quarry behind his home, in the city's Rockridge area.

In a neighborhood of cat lovers, Andrew Malyon stood out.

"How do you put it? That was his life, a part of his life, that was his little friend," neighbor Alan Werenskiod said.

Authorities say the 59-year-old man was searching for his cat behind his Rockridge home Tuesday night. The home sits on the edge of a steep cliff fenced off from an old rock quarry. Malyon apparently slipped and plunged nearly 100 feet into the water below.

"All I know is he gave his life for his cat," neighbor Ione Harris said.

Harris lives next door.

"When we bought this place in '95 and I stepped out on the back deck and looked down, I thought, 'Do you really want to buy here?'" Harris said.

Now she's mourning the neighbor who apparently lost his footing in the rain soaked hillside. A rescue boat and dive teams searched throughout the night before recovering Malyon's body around 1 a.m. The cat was found alive and is back home.

"He really loved the cats a lot and we all loved him," Harris said.

"He was wonderful, witty, dry sense of humor, loved the guy," Werenskiod said.

An Oakland Fire Department battalion chief told ABC7 News the Claremont Country Club owns the quarry. The club did not respond to requests for an interview.

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oakland, east bay news, carolyn tyler

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