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WASATCH COUNTY, Utah, Nov. 17, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — The body of an adult male has been recovered from Strawberry Reservoir, the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Saturday night.
According to a WCSO Facebook post, it appears that the victim, who was recovered by Search and Rescue crews, “may have drowned while canoeing near Chicken Creek West.”
The State Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the death and will determine the official cause of death.
The victim has been identified as Benjamin S. Magalis, 24 , from Goodhue, Minnesota.
He was reportedly camping with 26-year-old Chenoa L. Plank, from Sugar House, earlier in the week, the WCSO post says.
They both worked at a local ski resort and had gone camping last Sunday, Nov. 11, near Strawberry Reservoir.
Plank’s father called Wasatch County 911 Center on Thursday night to report his daughter missing after she didn’t return home when expected.
The woman’s dog was found, uninjured and wearing a life vest, on an island in the reservoir on Friday morning and has been reunited with family, the Facebook post says.
Search and Rescue crews will continue searching Sunday morning.
The sheriff’s office post concluded:
“We are deeply saddened for the Magalis family and everyone involved. We appreciate all of the Search and Rescue teams, including those from Wasatch and Summit Counties, the Department of Public Safety, and Utah State Parks for their hard work and sacrifices. We also appreciate our EMS crew, dispatchers, and law enforcement for their professionalism and skill through this difficult situation.”
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes available.
