A shadow has fallen over the world of college basketball. Deng Mayar, a bright talent from the University of Nebraska Omaha, tragically drowned this past Saturday. He was only 22 years old.
The heartbreaking incident happened at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah. It was around 5:45 PM when Mayar, out enjoying the water, suddenly found himself struggling.
Herriman City Police reported that Mayar was swimming with his friend, 21-year-old Sa Mafutaga. Mafutaga managed to make it to shore safely. When he saw Mayar in distress, he bravely tried to help. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t reach his friend in time.
Other people at the reservoir quickly pulled Mafutaga from the water. Emergency services helped him right there on the scene. He was then taken to the hospital, and thankfully, he is expected to recover.
The scene was incredibly tense for onlookers. One witness shared their raw feelings with Fox 13 in Salt Lake City. “It was terrifying,” they said. “We saw police run past us with a stretcher. On it was a person who was very pale and not moving.”
The search for Mayar continued into the night. Around 10:40 PM, an underwater robot finally found his body. He was about 35 meters from the shore. Sadly, he was declared dead right there.
Mayar had grown up in Salt Lake City, and his family rushed to the reservoir as the search unfolded. This detail, reported by Fox 13, makes the tragedy even more poignant.
The Blackridge Reservoir is currently closed. The Herriman Police Department is actively investigating what happened.
Deng Mayar had just moved to the University of Nebraska Omaha basketball team this past offseason. Before that, he spent two seasons playing for the University of North Dakota.
His coaches and teammates are reeling from the news. Chris Crutchfield, the head coach for Omaha’s men’s basketball team, released a statement. “Our whole program is devastated,” he shared. “We had competed against him for two years. We were so happy to have him join our team. He made amazing progress this summer.” Crutchfield went on to say that Deng “brought joy to everyone. He made our culture better. We will miss him terribly.” Both Crutchfield and his wife, Jodi, along with the entire team, extended their deepest sympathy and prayers to Deng’s family, friends, and teammates.
Paul Sather, Mayar’s former head coach at North Dakota, also shared his sorrow. “It breaks our hearts to get this tragic news about Deng,” Sather said in his own statement. “He was a wonderful person. He had a heart as big as a gym.” Sather’s thoughts are with Deng’s parents, family, and all his past and present teammates. “He was so competitive on the court,” Sather remembered. “But off the court, he had a gentle spirit and a kind soul. Everyone who knew and loved Deng will miss him deeply.”