A man who drowned Saturday while swimming without a life jacket at Deer Creek Reservoir has been identified as 69-year-old Randall Fern, according to a news release from the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.
On Saturday, Utah State Park rangers, along with members of the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, responded to reports of a possible drowning at Deer Creek State Park.
Fern had been canoeing with four other family members when their boats started taking on water and the group decided to swim to shore, according to the release. The 69-year-old Salt Lake City County resident, who was not wearing a life vest, started struggling to stay above water when he was about 15 feet away from land.
A bystander was able to get Fern into their boat and to the boat ramp, where first responders tried to revive him, the release says. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
No one else was hurt, and the drowning is under investigation.
