WASATCH COUNTY, Utah, Aug. 17, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — The body of a 15-year-old boy has been recovered from Strawberry Reservoir after Wasatch County Sheriff’s officials say he is presumed to have drowned Saturday afternoon while with his family.
The 911 call came in at about 3:30 p.m., reporting that a 15-year-old boy had gone under the water and had not resurfaced.
Sheriff Jared Rigby said the family tried to find the boy as soon as he went under, but were unable to locate him and immediately called for help.
An officer and Wasatch County Search and Rescue members were immediately dispatched and, before their major equipment arrived, crews started free diving in an area of 15- to 20-foot-deep water, risking their own lives in the process, Rigby said.
They found the boy, and it was determined that he had been under the water for about an hour. A boat from the marina was used to bring the youth’s body to shore.
The family was at the scene as crews attempted to revive the boy, Rigby said, but “unfortunately, they were unable to save him.”
Rigby said a lot of people go to Strawberry for recreation, and this family had a plan for their activities, but sometimes cold water, wind or other weather-related factors can interfere.
This incident is being treated as a presumed drowning, Rigby said, but the Medical Examiner will ultimately make the official determination of cause of death.
The names of the boy and his family have not been released, nor did Rigby say where they are from.
Rigby added that Strawberry Reservoir is one of four bodies of water in Wasatch County and said this is the fourth day in a month that emergency crews have responded to an incident there.
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information is made available.
