Omaha’s Deng Mayar Dead At 22 After Drowning

Deng Mayar, a men’s basketball player for Omaha, tragically passed away Saturday after drowning, according to an announcement Sunday from the college. He was 22 years old.

The incident took place Saturday at Herriman, Utah‘s Blackridge Reservoir, per a report from FOX 13 Salt Lake City. Both Mayar and Sa Mafutaga, 21, were in the water and began to struggle shortly prior to 6 p.m. Mafutaga was able to get back to shore but turned back to reel in Mayar, but he was unable to get to him, police said. Bystanders helped Mafutaga and emergency personnel arrived on scene after being called. (RELATED: Italian Athlete Mattia Debertolis Found Dead During World Games Competition In China)

Emergency officials weren’t able to locate Mayar for hours prior to using a submersible robot that found his body. Sent to a hospital for his injuries, Mafutaga is expected to make a full recovery.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha Athletics and our program mourn the tragic passing of Deng Mayar. He was 22 years old.

Full statement at https://t.co/CRqTmeiadl. pic.twitter.com/2le0ackqCM

— Omaha Men’s Basketball (@OmahaMBB) August 17, 2025

“Our entire program is devastated to learn of Deng’s passing,” said Omaha head coach Chris Crutchfield in an official statement. “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.”

After two campaigns with North Dakota, Mayar made the move to transfer to Omaha.