University of Nebraska Omaha men’s basketball forward Deng Mayar died Saturday evening after drowning at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah. The 22-year-old graduate student had recently transferred to the Mavericks following two seasons at the University of North Dakota.
The Herriman City Police Department responded to 911 calls at 5:40 p.m. local time Saturday reporting two individuals in distress at the reservoir. Mayar and his friend Sa Mafutaga, 21, were swimming when both began struggling in the water approximately 35 yards from shore.
Mafutaga managed to reach the shore but re-entered the water in an attempt to rescue Mayar. Bystanders later entered the water to assist Mafutaga, who was treated at the scene and transported to a hospital by United Fire Authority. He is expected to recover from the incident.
Emergency crews conducted an extensive search for Mayar throughout the evening. A Utah Highway Patrol submersible robot located his body at 10:40 p.m., and divers recovered him from the water at 11 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The reservoir and all adjacent areas were closed to the public following the incident.
Mayar’s family was present during the search and has been notified of his death. The Herriman City Police Department is requesting anyone who witnessed the event to contact authorities at 801-858-0035.
The six-foot-seven forward was a Salt Lake City native who attended Judge Memorial Catholic High School, where he played varsity basketball for four years and helped his team finish fourth at the state tournament during his senior season. He subsequently played at Howard Junior College before transferring to North Dakota.
During his two seasons with the Fighting Hawks, Mayar appeared in 42 games and made 15 starts. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. As a senior, he averaged 6.3 points and four rebounds, finishing his final game with 12 points and seven rebounds in a 92-79 victory over South Dakota.
Mayar had joined the Omaha program this summer as a graduate student studying business administration. He was one of seven siblings and had been participating in summer workouts with his new teammates. Following one workout last month, senior guard Tony Osburn described Mayar as a great offensive rebounder.
Omaha head coach Chris Crutchfield expressed the program’s devastation over the loss. The coach noted that after competing against Mayar for two years, the team was elated to add him and that he had made tremendous progress during the summer. Crutchfield indicated that “Deng was a joy to be around and made our culture better.”
Maverick Athletic Director Adrian Dowell stated that the department was devastated to learn of Mayar’s death. He extended the university community’s love and sincere condolences to the family during this difficult time, while also expressing wishes for peace for his friends and teammates in Omaha, North Dakota, and Salt Lake City.
North Dakota head coach Paul Sather also released a statement expressing his heartbreak over the news. Sather described Mayar as a wonderful person with a heart the size of a gym, noting his thoughts were with Mayar’s parents and family, along with all his teammates from both universities. The coach emphasized that while Mayar was competitive on the court, he possessed a gentle nature and kind soul off the court.
The University of North Dakota announced that counseling services would be available to any students who wanted them this week following the news of Mayar’s death.
News reports initially identified Mayar as Deng Ador, which is his father’s last name. The University of Nebraska Omaha confirmed the news Sunday evening, identifying him by his basketball name of Mayar.
The South Jordan Fire Department assisted United Fire Authority and Herriman police in the search efforts. Mayar’s death occurred during what should have been preparation for his final collegiate basketball season with the Mavericks.
