Nebraska Basketball Player Drowns in Reservoir

A college basketball player with the University of Nebraska-Omaha drowned over the weekend at a reservoir in Utah, reports NBC News. Deng Mayar, a 22-year-old forward, drowned at Blackridge Reservoir near Salt Lake City while swimming with a friend, say authorities. Police received emergency calls Saturday evening about two people in distress. One of them, identified as Sa Mafutaga, managed to reach the shore, then re-entered the reservoir in a failed attempt to rescue Mayar.

Rescuers pulled the basketball player's body from the water hours later. Mafutaga was hospitalized but is expected to recover. Mayar, who stood 6-foot-7 and was studying business administration, had recently transferred to Omaha after playing two seasons at the University of North Dakota, where he made 42 appearances and started 15 games, per KETV. He is a native of Salt Lake City and one of seven siblings.