Deng Mayar, a 22-year-old standout who recently transferred to the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s men’s basketball team, died over the weekend after drowning at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah. The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. on Saturday, about 20 miles outside Salt Lake City.
Mayar had been swimming with his friend, Sa Mafutaga, 21, who made it to shore but quickly realized Deng hadn’t surfaced. Mafutaga went back into the water to help but couldn’t reach him. Unified Fire Authority crews later pulled Mafutaga to safety.
“It was scary,” said Hudsyn Sandoval, a nearby resident. “We saw the police running past us with a stretcher, and there was a person on there who was really pale and wasn’t moving.”
Coach Chris Crutchfield expressed the program’s heartbreak. “After competing against him for two years, we were elated to add him to our team… He was a joy to be around and made our culture better.”
Mayar previously played for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, averaging 6.3 points and 4 rebounds last season.
