WEBER COUNTY, Utah — Search and rescue crews are working to recover the body of a teen who drowned at Pineview Reservoir.
A 16-year-old boy was trying to swim across the bay in the Middle Inlet area when he realized he couldn't make it. He tried to turn around and swim back, but he went under the water and didn't resurface.
Lt. Cortney Ryan with the Weber County Sheriff's Office said the victim's friends tried to help him, but they were unable to. Ryan added that trying to do so almost took them under as well, and he said it's fortunate there wasn't more than one victim in this case.
The victim's friends called 911 around 5:45 p.m., and search and rescue crews have been searching for the teen's body with multiple boats, kayaks, divers and sonar technology.
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The teen's name has not been released, but Ryan believes the group is from Weber County. None of them were wearing life jackets, and no adults were with them.
Ryan reminded the public that anytime someone is swimming in water deeper than their chest, they should be wearing a life jacket. He also advised swimmers to know their abilities and to not go beyond their limits.
The incident comes just three weeks after a man nearly drowned at the same reservoir — that man has since been taken off life support and was later pronounced dead.
One week before that, a man drowned while trying to swim out to help his son, who was on a flotation device in the Middle Inlet area. And on May 15, another man drowned in the Port Ramp area.
Ryan said prior to this year, there hasn't been a deadly drowning at the reservoir in about four years. Part of that, he believes, is credit to a ban on alcohol in beach and swimming areas they instituted at the reservoir in 2017.
