Davis County Sheriff's Office releases name of man who drowned in Farmington Pond

Davis County Sheriff's Office releases name of man who drowned in Farmington Pond

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FARMINGTON — The Davis County Sheriff's Office on Thursday identified a man who drowned in Farmington Pond Tuesday night.

Davis County Sheriff’s Sgt. DeeAnn Servey said David Senatus, 23, was with friends swinging on a rope above Farmington Pond, 750 N. 75 West. Senatus surfaced after jumping into the water but appeared to be struggling and then sank below the surface of the pond.

His friends tried to find Senatus but were unable to locate him underwater, Servey said. Emergency crews received the report at about 9:50 p.m., Tuesday. Four departments responded in a rescue effort and found Senatus’s body at shortly after 11:35 p.m.

Servey said cold temperatures of the water and inefficiency while swimming may have been factors in the drowning. The drowning remains under investigation. Investigators said Wednesday that drugs or alcohol were not a factor.

Senatus was primarily from the Santa Cruz, California, and Boston areas, but did have some ties to Davis County, the sheriff's office said. A Belmont High (Massachusetts) social media page paid tribute to Senatus Wednesday. The post said Senatus graduated in 2013 and played on the school's football and rugby teams.

The city removed the rope and tree that Senatus was jumping off of Wednesday, Farmington city manager Dave Millheim said. While it was a popular swing, Millheim said it had become increasingly dangerous recently.

He said a similar near-drowning incident occurred last month when a man jumped off the rope and locked up in the cold water and went under. That man was pulled from the water and taken by medical helicopter but survived, Millheim said.

He added there have been other incidents involving injuries, and the decision was made after Tuesday's drowning to remove both the tree and the rope. Swimming will still be allowed at the pond.

"It doesn't appear that the tree or the rope had anything to do it ... but our thought process was if we're encouraging behavior that might get reckless, we just don't want to encourage it in any shape or form," Millheim said. "We thought we just can't continue to be a part of anything that can be even perceived as remotely risky."

Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson warned people that despite the warmer summer temperatures, water remains extremely cold at this time of the year.

"That's what is so deceiving about these ponds right now," Richardson said. "Again, the top can be warm, and you go down just a little ways and you're back into that liquid ice again. And it's shocking to the system."

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