SA;T LAKE CITY — The body of a 22-year-old student-athlete has been found after he drowned in a reservoir, Utah officials said.
On August 16,22-year-old Deng Ador was in Blackridge Reservoir with Sa Mafutaga, 21, when Ador began struggling in the water, according to a Facebook post by the Herriman City Police Department.
Mafutaga, who was able to get back to the shore, went back into the water to try and help Ador but wasn’t able to, police said. Ador was about 35 yards from shore when he went underwater, according to police.
Mafutaga was treated at the scene and sent to a hospital where he’s expected to fully recover, police said.
Ador’s body was found roughly five hours later by a dive team using an underwater robot, officials said.
“We are devastated to learn of Deng’s passing. On behalf of our university community, our love and sincere condolences are with his family during this difficult time. We also wish his friends and teammates in Omaha, North Dakota, and Salt Lake City family, peace as they process this tragic loss,” University of Nebraska at Omaha’s director of athletics, Adrian Dowell, said in a news release.
Ador had recently joined the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s basketball team, the Mavericks.
Previously, Ador was a basketball player for the University of North Dakota where he appeared in 42 games and averaged 5.7 points per game, helping lead the team to the Summit League Tournament semifinals during the 2024-25 season, the university said in a release.
“He had the biggest smile, one that could brighten any room, and a natural gift for cheering people up. Deng leaves behind six siblings: Angelina, Achol, Christina, Ngor, Achan, and Nyanbol, and our devoted parents, Alei and Abele. Though our hearts are broken, our love for him will never fade,” a GoFundMe page said.
Anyone who may have seen the incident is asked to call 801-858-0035, police said.
Herriman is about a 25-mile drive southwest from Salt Lake City.
By PALOMA CHAVEZ/McClatchy News
Paloma Chavez is a reporter covering real-time news on the West Coast. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
