A 22-year-old University of Nebraska Omaha basketball player drowned in the Blackridge Reservoir in Utah over the weekend.
Police said they responded to a call at 5:40 p.m. on Saturday evening regarding two people struggling in the reservoir in Herriman, Utah.
Sa Mafutaga, 21, made it to the shore before going back into the reservoir to try and help Deng Mayar, 22. After Mafutaga was unable to help Mayar, bystanders entered the water to rescue him. Mafutaga was transported to a hospital and is expected to recover.
Police said Mayar went underwater about 35 feet from the shore. Authorities used a submersible to conduct an hourslong search for him. His body was recovered by a diving team at 11 p.m., and he was pronounced dead.
Mayar, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Utah, played at the University of North Dakota before joining the Omaha men’s team. Chris Crutchfield, the Omaha men’s basketball head coach, said in a statement that the program is “devastated” over the 22-year-old’s death.
