University of Nebraska at Omaha basketball forward Deng Mayar died Saturday at the age of 22 after drowning at a Utah reservoir, the school announced Sunday.
Mayar, who transferred from North Dakota this past offseason, was swimming with a friend at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah.
Both began struggling in the water, ESPN reported.
According to KSTU-TV in Salt Lake City, Mayar’s friend reached the shore but returned to help him. Mayar continued to struggle and went underwater.
Rescue crews recovered his body late Saturday night. His friend was hospitalized and is expected to recover.
Search underway for missing man at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman; would-be rescuer hospitalized https://t.co/59T23d8Whd pic.twitter.com/BYO4eFxTbO
— SLCScanner (@SLCScanner) August 17, 2025
The Herriman Police Department confirmed they received reports of a drowning at the reservoir around 5:45 p.m. local Saturday.
Officials said a man went under the water and did not resurface. A bystander attempted to help but was also taken to the hospital.
That person is expected to survive.
A search and rescue team, including divers, responded to the scene.
Around 11 p.m., crews recovered the body of the 22-year-old.
Police closed the reservoir to the public during the search and urged people to avoid the area.
The drowning occurred just one day after the reservoir had been reopened. It had previously been closed due to algae.
University of Nebraska at Omaha Chancellor Joanne Li and Athletic Director Adrian Dowell issued a joint statement Sunday about the death of the young player.
The University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha Athletics and our program mourn the tragic passing of Deng Mayar. He was 22 years old.
Full statement at https://t.co/CRqTmeiadl. pic.twitter.com/2le0ackqCM
— Omaha Men’s Basketball (@OmahaMBB) August 17, 2025
“We are devastated to learn of Deng’s passing,” the pair said. “On behalf of our university community, our love and sincere condolences are with his family during this difficult time.”
The statement added, “We also wish his friends and teammates in Omaha, North Dakota, and Salt Lake City family, peace as they process this tragic loss.”
Omaha men’s basketball coach Chris Crutchfield also released a statement.
“Our entire program is devastated to learn of Deng’s passing,” Crutchfield said. “After competing against him for two years, we were elated to add him to our team and he made tremendous progress this summer.”
“Deng was a joy to be around and made our culture better,” Crutchfield added. “We will miss him greatly. Jodi and I, along with our entire program, send our hearts and prayers to Deng’s family, friends and teammates.”
The 6-foot-8 Mayar, raised in Salt Lake City, averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds last season for North Dakota.
He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in his final game there, a 92-79 win over South Dakota.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
