SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, Jan. 31, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office has announced that the man who drowned Monday after rescuing a woman who fell through the ice at a Tooele reservoir was one of their own.
The victim, Deputy Emaloni Takitoa Lutui, 20, graduated from the Salt Lake County Sheriff Office’s academy on Jan. 11, just 18 days prior to his death.
Lutui “bravely sacrificed his life to save a woman who fell through the ice,” a SLCSO statement says. “His last act was to push her out of the water.”
Lutui went under the ice of Tooele’s Settlement Canyon Reservoir, and didn’t resurface. The woman, Lutui’s girlfriend, was treated at an area hospital for cold exposure, and survived.
Sheriff Rosie Rivera, who attended the graduation for Lutui’s and his classmates, praised the late deputy.
“We are heartbroken with the loss of Deputy Lutui,” she said in a released statement. “He displayed extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of immediate danger. His unwavering commitment to the well-being of others is a true testament of his character.
“He will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” Rivera said.
Local authorities were notified shortly before 7 p.m. Monday night that a man and woman had fallen through the ice at Settlement Canyon Reservoir.
“Deputy Lutui was able to help the woman out, then slipped under the ice and did not resurface,” the Sheriff’s Office statement says. “His body was found by rescue personnel around 11:20 p.m. that evening.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Lutui’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time,” the SLCSO statement says.
