At about 6:30 p.m. Monday, police received a missing-persons report from concerned friends and began searching percolation ponds near Blossom Hill Road and Sanchez Drive, San Jose police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said.
Police searched the area for several hours Monday night, then began anew around 7 a.m. today, with help from the Santa Clara County sheriff's dive team, Dwyer said.
The dive team discovered the man's body around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Marty Grimes, a spokesman for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, said the body was found in the Guadalupe Percolation Ponds, behind the Denny's restaurant at 1015 Blossom Hill Road.
Police would not divulge further details and say they still do not know how the man died. They have not yet confirmed his identity.
Percolation ponds like the one where the body was found use water diverted from the Guadalupe River to replenish ground water, according to Grimes. The ponds are between 10 and 14 feet deep, and have very steep banks, he said.
The Guadalupe pond is closed to the public and marked with no-trespassing signs, but occasionally people do break through surrounding fences, Grimes said.