As a troop of 10- and 11-year-old Boy Scouts practiced the swimming techniques each boy needs to achieve a first-class ranking on Wednesday night at Salem Pond in Utah County, one of them began to struggle.
A 25-year-old troop leader quickly came to the boy’s assistance, pushing him to safety. But the man never resurfaced.
Emergency responders arrived about 7 p.m., shortly after he went under, and divers searched the murky waters “by feel” because of poor visibility, according to police Chief Brad James. The troop leader had been submerged for about 50 minutes before divers found him.