OGDEN — As Esther Fujimoto floated lifelessly in the water of Pineview Reservoir, severely injured by a boat's propeller, one man tried desperately to save her.

"A lady has been hit by a boat," Vaughn Anderson told the 911 operator. "I heard her. I saw the boat that done it, and they left her," he shouted frantically into his phone.

The three men accused of hitting Fujimoto at Pineview Reservoir last August 21st, and leaving her to die will go to trial on misdemeanor charges. That was the decision made by a 2nd District Court Judge who heard the 911 recordings and other testimony last week.

The recordings were released to KSL-TV late this afternoon. The chilling 13-minute call comes from the man who rowed out to try to save her.

"I don't know what I can do. I can't hold on to her, and I cannot row," Anderson told the operator.

Anderson said he was on the patio of his home around 8:30 p.m. when he heard something very different than the sounds of boats and children swimming — the "background noise" he was accustomed to, living so close to the Spring Creek area of the reservoir.

He says he heard blood-curdling screams, and went to check it out. Within minutes, a stranger was dying in his arms.

After hearing the screams, Anderson spotted a boat with three men talking with someone in the water. He heard, "Hey lady, are you OKAY?" Then, he says, the boat sped off.

He jumped in a row boat, and headed out to where Anderson was injured a few hundred feet off shore.

He did not know her, but he had seen the University of Utah molecular biologist swimming there often enough, that he recognized her. Now she was dying in his arms.

Related:

Boaters allegedly responsible for swimmer's death to stand trial

Three men accused of causing fatal injuries to a swimmer in Pineview Reservoir and then leaving the scene without rendering aid were ordered Thursday to stand trial.

Anderson: "I can't pull her in the boat." 911: "You can't pull her in the boat?" Anderson: "If I pull her in, I'll capsized the boat. She's cut up bad."

He gives the operator a description of the boat and what he saw.

"It's three guys, and they was asking, 'Hey lady are you okay?' and they left!"

Anderson tells the 9-1-1 operator they took off like they were getting out of Dodge.

He pleads with Fujimoto to hang on.

"Come on, don't leave me. No, please lady. Come on."

Anderson is upset that he cannot save her as he waits for rescuers. After 12 minutes, police arrive and take Fujimoto from Anderson.

The judge ordered Colton Raines, Skyler Shepherd and Robert Cole Boyer to stand trial in Fujimoto's death. All are charged with obstruction of justice. Raines and Shepherd also face charges of reckless endangerment, and failure to render aid.

After initially denying involvement, Shepherd told investigators, more than a week later, that the men were there, and when they checked on Fujimoto, she told them she was okay. All of the men have pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges.

Following Fujimoto's death, the Utah legislature passed a law to make it a felony to leave the scene of a boating accident.

Fujimoto's family has also filed a wrongful death suit against the defendants.

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