HERRIMAN, Utah — A tragic incident at Blackridge Reservoir Saturday evening left one young man dead and another hospitalized, prompting city officials to close the popular recreation on Sunday as investigators work to piece together what happened.
Herriman City Police said the emergency unfolded just before 6 p.m. when 22-year-old Deng Ador and 21-year-old Sa Mafutaga began struggling in the water. Police say Mafutaga managed to reach shore but noticed his friend was still in trouble. He went back in to help but couldn’t get to him.
Bystanders jumped into the water and pulled Mafutaga out. He was treated on scene by Unified Fire Authority before being taken to the hospital, where he is expected to recover.
“It was scary. 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,” recalled neighbor Hudsyn Sandoval, who witnessed the scene.
Rescue crews from Unified Fire, South Jordan Fire, and the Utah Highway Patrol dive team searched for hours after Ador went underwater about 35 yards from shore. A submersible robot finally located him around 10:40 p.m. Divers recovered his body about 20 minutes later. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was also known as Deng Mayar, according to his family. He played college basketball for two seasons at the University of North Dakota and was preparing to play for the University of Nebraska at Omaha this upcoming season. Both schools shared their sadness at his loss.
"Our hearts are broken to hear the tragic news of Deng's passing," North Dakota head men's basketball coach Paul Sather said. "He was a wonderful person with a heart the size of a gym. Our thoughts are with his parents and family, along with all his teammates from UND and UNO. As competitive as he was on the court, he had a gentle nature and kind soul off the court. Deng will be greatly missed by all of those that knew and loved him."
He played for Judge Memorial Catholic High School, according to the college roster pages.
Omaha Coach Chris Crutchfield added: "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. 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."
Police say Ador’s family was present during the search. For now, Blackridge Reservoir — along with its trailhead and grassy beach areas — will remain closed.
Neighbors say the reservoir is a beloved spot, but tragedies like this leave a lasting impact.
“It’s still a beautiful place, even though tragedy does strike every once in a while,” said Dylan Reitz, who has lived across from the reservoir for nearly a decade.“It always sends a ripple in the community"
Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the Herriman Police Department at 801-858-0035.
