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HEBER CITY -- Hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight vigil at Wasatch High School Wednesday night to remember Kalem Franco, the 17-year-old who drowned at Deer Creek Reservoir.
Franco's father, Leno Franco, attended the gathering with some of Kalem's 12 brothers and sisters. He described his son as a person who deeply cared about others, and a person who took genuine interest in how they were doing.
Leno tried to uplift those mourning his son's death.
"He wants you to be happy. He wants you to be happy and excel at life. That's what he was all about," he told the youth.
He said his son loved to talk to people and include them in his life.
"He was just a good, fun-loving guy. He had many friends, liked to help people, serve and help others, counseling people. That's what he was, he was the real deal," he said.
That was evident at the vigil Wednesday night, when hundreds of students, faculty, and community members showed up. Students spoke kindly of Kalem while placing his football jerseys on the school's fence.
Leno Franco told KSL the outpouring of support for his son is overwhelming.
"It really touches me, my family, my sons and daughter are in the group. It's really touching for me," he said.
Kalem Franco and two of his cousins were trying to swim about 100 yards from the shore to an island in Deer Creek Reservoir. He got a cramp and couldn't finish the swim.
His cousins tried to save him. So did a passerby on a jet ski, who tried to throw Franco a life jacket. But because of the late spring run-off, the water was an unseasonably cold 55 degrees.
Wasatch County Sheriff Todd Bonner said, "It'll cause your body to start shutting down. With very cold water, hypothermia sets in."
It took crews about an hour-and-a-half to find Franco's body in the frigid water, but once they did, the news of his death spread quickly. At the vigil, students were still having a hard time processing what had happened.
Tom Horner, a senior at Wasatch, said, "I'm on the football team with him and he's the biggest, fastest, strongest kid we have on the team. I was like, this has got to be a mistake."
Franco was a popular student and star athlete at the school. He was named the best wide receiver at BYU Football Camp last week.
"His dream was to play college football," Leno Franco said, "but that obviously isn't going to happen."
Kalem's younger sister believes her brother now has a new purpose, one that still involves football and one many take comfort in hearing.
"He's now in a better place and he's up there dividing the 2000 Stripling Warriors into football teams. He's teaching football now," she said.
Kalem would have been a senior this fall, but instead his family is making funeral arrangements.
"I had the great privilege of being his father," Leno said. "It's been an honor to know him."
Kalem was the ninth person to drown in Utah since April.
E-mail: spark@ksl.com
