KEARNS, Utah, March 25, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A 39-year-old man drowned at a fitness center pool in Kearns Saturday morning while practicing holding his breath underwater, officials said.
The deceased man has been identified as Gabriel Crowther, said Lt. Brian Lohrke, Unified Police Department.
The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center, at 5624 S. Cougar Lane (4800 West).
Lohrke said lifeguards knew Crowther was practicing holding his breath underwater and were keeping an eye on him. When they noticed he hadn’t surfaced, they pulled him from the water and found him unresponsive.
The lifeguards on duty performed CPR until first responders arrived, but Crowther was ultimately pronounced deceased at the scene.
A GoFundMe page set up by Crowther’s family and friends said he leaves behind a wife and four children.
The page says: “On Saturday, Match 24, Gabriel Crowther suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. He leaves behind his wife and four children.
“Those who knew Gabriel knew him as easy to love and one who gave his heart to everyone he encountered. He brought the best out of people and left them better than he found them. His zest for life will surely be missed but not forgotten.”
The page adds that Crowther had been learning to snorkel, which is why he was practicing holding his breath under water.
The pool was shut down while police investigated the incident.
The drowning is being treated as an accident at this time, though investigators are also working to determine whether Crowther suffered a medical complication while he was underwater.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information becomes available.
