College Basketball Star Dies Tragically At 22

Tragedy struck the world of college basketball over the weekend as University of Nebraska at Omaha forward Deng Mayar passed away on Saturday at the young age of 22. The school announced his death on Sunday, revealing his passing was the result of a drowning at a Utah reservoir.

Mayar had gone for a swim with one of his friends at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah. The young basketball star had just transferred from North Dakota during the offseason.

Reports say both individuals had started to struggle in the water. During the incident, Mayar’s friend made it to shore; however, he went back in to help him. Mayar continued to struggle before going underwater. Rescue workers found his body later Saturday night.

His friend survived and is currently in the hospital, expected to make a full recovery.

Law enforcement officials with the Herriman Police Department confirmed they received reports of a drowning that occurred at the reservoir sometime around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday. The official report stated that a man went underwater and failed to resurface.

Another individual tried to help, but was ultimately transported to the hospital. That individual is also expected to survive. Divers and other members of a search and rescue team showed up on the scene. At 11 p.m., crews found the body of the 22-year-old basketball player.

During the search for Mayar, the police closed down the reservoir to the public, urging visitors to avoid the area during the investigation. The day of the drowning was the first day of the reservoir’s reopening. It had previously been shut down due to algae.

Joanne Li, University of Nebraska at Omaha chancellor, along with Athletic Director Adrian Dowell, put out a joint statement on Sunday concerning the death of Mayar.

“We are devastated to learn of Deng’s passing,” the pair wrote in the statement. “On behalf of our university community, our love and sincere condolences are with his family during this difficult time.”

The statement then said, “We also wish his friends and teammates in Omaha, North Dakota, and Salt Lake City family, peace as they process this tragic loss.”

The school’s basketball coach, Chris Crutchfield, also put out a statement.

“Our entire program is devastated to learn of Deng’s passing,” Crutchfield wrote. “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,” the coach 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.”

Mayar, who was 6-foot-8, grew up in Salt Lake City and averaged 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds last season while playing for North Dakota.

In his final game for North Dakota, Mayar scored 12 points and seven rebounds.