A member of the Omaha Mavericks, the basketball team representing the University of Nebraska, Deng Mayer died Saturday at the age of 22. The forward drowned in a lake in Utah.

Tragic news. Expected to play for the Omaha Mavericks, the basketball team representing the University of Nebraska, Deng Mayar died Saturday at the age of 22. The young forward drowned in a lake in Utah, near Salt Lake City, where he was originally from, as reported by the American news agency.

Deng Mayar found himself in distress 35 meters from the shore. His friend Sa Mafutaga tried to save him, but in vain. Passersby dived into the water to rescue Mafutaga, who was then taken to hospital. The victim's body was recovered by authorities after several hours of searching.

Omaha forward Deng Mayar, who transferred from North Dakota this offseason, died Saturday in a drowning incident, the school announced Sunday. He was 22.

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"He was a wonderful person, with a heart as big as a gymnasium."

For the past two seasons, Deng Mayar played for the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, another Summit League team, a league in the central United States that is part of the NCAA, the highest level of college sports. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of Deng's passing. He was a great person with a heart as big as a gymnasium," said Fighting Hawks coach Paul Sather.

Omaga manager Chris Crutchfield said Mayar had made "tremendous progress" this summer. "Our entire program is devastated by Deng's passing," Crutchfield said in a statement. "After playing against him for two years, we were thrilled to welcome him to our team. Deng was a pleasure to be around, and we will miss him greatly."