Latest news with #SilverLakeFlatReservoir
New York Times
16-07-2025
- New York Times
Utah Man Drowns Trying to Rescue Girl in Reservoir
A 31-year-old man drowned over the weekend after jumping into a reservoir in Utah to save a 12-year-old girl who was drifting on an inflatable tube, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said on Monday. The man, Daniel Braga Figueiredo, 31, borrowed a paddle board and went out to help the girl, a relative, before 7 p.m. Saturday. They were at the Silver Lake Flat Reservoir, just over an hour drive southeast of Salt Lake City. 'The two were seen struggling to consolidate themselves, and both ended up in the water,' the Utah County Sheriff's Office said. Bystanders saw Mr. Figueiredo lifting the girl onto an inflatable device, before disappearing in the water. His body was recovered from the reservoir at 9:30 p.m. The girl survived. Austin Isbell, a spokesman for the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Outdoor Recreation, said in an email on Wednesday that Mr. Figueiredo helped the young woman onto the stand-up paddle board 'but could not board or hold onto it himself and drowned.' The girl and Mr. Figueiredo were not wearing life jackets, according to Mr. Isbell. It is unclear how they were related. He said that life jacket use is critically important, especially during the busy summer season. 'The incident at Silver Lake Flat Reservoir was preventable,' Mr. Isbell said. He said that the girl on the inflatable tube 'was struggling to paddle back to shore but was not in danger.' Mr. Isbell said that all vessels, including boats, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and canoes, must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved wearable personal flotation device or life jacket for each passenger. The water temperature was around 71 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just above the level at which water should be treated with caution, according to the National Center for Cold Water Safety. About 4,000 people die from unintentional drowning each year in the United States, according to the American Red Cross. Many are children. The Red Cross advises people not to put themselves in danger when trying to make a rescue. Instead, they should call for help, since aiding someone who is at risk of drowning requires more than just basic swimming skills. There are significant gaps in access to swimming lessons. More than 60 percent of Black children, 45 percent of Hispanic children and 40 percent of white children have little or no swimming ability, according to a 2017 study by the University of Memphis and University of Nevada. The study also found that 79 percent of children from households with incomes of less than $50,000 have little or no swimming ability. The Silver Lake Flat Reservoir lies in the mountains of American Fork Canyon, near the Lone Peak Wilderness.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Paddleboarder dies rescuing girl from Utah reservoir
A man in Utah died in a reservoir over the weekend after police said he saved a 12-year-old girl who was drifting from the shore on top of an inflatable tube. The Utah County Sheriff's Office said Daniel Braga Figueiredo, 31, borrowed a paddleboard and entered the Silver Lake Flat Reservoir at around 7 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 12. According to police, Figueiredo entered the reservoir after seeing the girl, whom he was related to, drifting away from the shore. Witnesses said that when Figueiredo reached the girl, he fell into the water as he tried to relocate her onto the paddleboard. 'Other witnesses went out onto the Reservoir to assist the 2 that were now both in the water,' police said. The last thing witnesses saw was Figueiredo lifting the girl out of the water and onto an inflatable device, saving her, before disappearing under the water, according to police. After reports of the incident were called in, Figueiredo's body was found and recovered from the reservoir at around 9:30 p.m. local time. 'We would like to again offer our condolences to the family,' police said. According to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the area, the Silver Lake Flat Reservoir is located inside the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. Visitors to the area usually perform outdoor activities like kayaking, fishing, camping and hiking on surrounding trails, the service said. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paddleboarder dies saving girl at Utah's Silver Lake Flat Reservoir
CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
Paddleboarder dies while rescuing 12-year-old girl in Utah reservoir
A man died in a Utah reservoir on Saturday night after trying to help a 12-year-old girl as she drifted farther from shore on an inflatable tube, authorities said. Daniel Braga Figueiredo, 31, borrowed a paddleboard and entered Silver Lake Flat Reservoir around 7 p.m. local time, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office. Figueiredo was related to the girl, a spokesperson for the office said in a news release. When he reached her, people watched Figueiredo and the girl struggle to relocate her from the tube onto his paddleboard before the two fell into the reservoir. The sheriff's spokesperson said witnesses entered the water, too, at that point, in hopes of helping them. Figueiredo was last seen lifting the girl out of the water and onto an inflatable device, the spokesperson said. He then disappeared beneath the surface. Witnesses called 911 after the man vanished. Rescuers from several agencies subsequently responded to the scene and proceeded to search for Figueiredo, whose body was found and recovered from the reservoir at about 9:30 p.m., according to the sheriff's office. "We would like to again offer our condolences to the family," the sheriff's spokesperson said in a statement. Silver Lake Flat Reservoir is located in American Fork Canyon, inside the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. People who visit often participate in outdoor activities like kayaking, fishing, camping and hiking on surrounding trails, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the reservoir.
