College basketball player Deng Mayar lost his life in a tragic incident at Blackridge Reservoir in Utah on Saturday. According to reports,Mayar, 22, who transferred from North Dakota to University of Nebraska at Omaha earlier this summer was in the water and became overwhelmed.
🚨 Omaha forward Deng Mayar (22) has died in a drowning accident at Blackridge Reservoir, Utah 💔
— Began struggling while swimming with a friend (who survived) — Body recovered late Sat night by search teams — Grad transfer to UNO after 2 yrs at North Dakota#BINI#MUFC#sasapic.twitter.com/Rb0zP2AZWZ
Eyewitness accounts say Mayar was struggling alongside his friend, Sa Mafutaga. Mafutaga was fortunate enough to reach shore and then, according to FOX 13 Salt Lake City, bystanders hopped into the water and pulled Mafutaga out before he was treated by the Unified Fire Authority. Mafutaga is expected to make a full recovery.
How Did Deng College Basketball Star Deng Mayar Drown At Blackridge Reservoir?
According to official sources and reports, Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah, has no lifeguards on duty. Just signs that warn swimmers to proceed “at their own risk.” Unfortunately, as reported by ESPN, Mayar went underwater and never re-emerged. His body was recovered by rescue crews and his family on Saturday night after a desperate search that lasted hours.
FOX news was on the scene with eyewitness Hudsyn Sandoval, who described the incident as “scary.”
Sandoval said: “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.”
Social Media Reacts To News Of Deng Mayar’s Drowning
Social media noted several high-profile drownings that have gone on this month, including the tragic death of former Cosby Show actor, Malcolm Jamal Warner.
“the epidemic nobody is talking about,” said one netizen on X.
“Too damn young man,” lamented another.
“He’s like 6-foot-8, how did he drown?,” one person asked, as if his height would save Mayar from an unforeseen tragedy.
“Not even trying to be funny, drowning at 6 ‘8 is kinda crazy. Where was he swimming????,” said another in disbelief.
Racial Stereotypes Play Into Social Media’s Theory On Why Mayar Drowned
However, somewhere in between condolences and prayers, racial stereotypes about Black people not being able to swim — with some insinuating that is what caused Mayar’s death — took over the conversation and turned it ugly.
“Black folks who can’t swim need to stay away from pools, lakes, rivers and oceans,” said one netizen on X.
“Why do black folk get in the water if they don’t know how to swim ugh,” said another.
“This is crazy,” added a third. “If anybody has ever been to Blackridge, it’s basically a calm swimming pool.”
Fans On X Are Suspicious About Mayar’s Death
Investigators are still trying to find out how the accidental drowning happened. Some fans, however, are suggesting a more nefarious explanation. Claiming something is suspicious about the way Mayar drowned.
On Sunday (August 17), the Omaha Mavericks released a statement on their website in tribute to Mayar, who never got a chance to fully endear himself or display his skills to the community.
“Our entire program is devastated to learn of Deng’s passing,” Omaha men’s basketball coach Chris Crutchfield said in the statement. “After competing against him for two years, we were elated to add him to our team, and he made tremendous progress this summer.
“[Mayar] 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.”
The fallen athlete’s former college, North Dakota, thanked him for his 42 appearances and 15 starts, also posting a statement on their website.
“Our hearts are broken to hear the tragic news of Deng’s passing,” said University of North Dakota’s head men’s basketball coach Paul Sather. 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 a kind soul off the court. Deng will be greatly missed by all of those that knew and loved him.”
We don’t know if Mayar’s inability to swim is what caused his shocking demise. We do know that assuming that he couldn’t swim because he’s Black is a level of ignorance that shouldn’t even be respected with a response.
