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HEBER CITY — Police identified an Illinois man Monday who drowned when his kayak capsized at Deer Creek Reservoir Saturday.
Anuj Khandelwal, 32, was kayaking with his wife around 3:20 p.m. when their kayak tipped over. Neither were wearing their life jackets, though there were two in the kayak, Utah State Parks Sgt. Drew Patterson said.
The kayak flipped about 60 feet from shore and Khandelwal disappeared "under the water quickly," his wife told officials. Khandelwal did not know how to swim, according to Patterson.
Khandelwal's wife was quickly rescued by Mike Millgate and his family who were boating nearby.
"As we got closer, it was for sure that they were drowning," Millgate said. "She was on her last limb. She had already bobbed a couple times."
Millgate quickly jumped in and saved the woman but hadn't seen the man until his family started screaming at him to keep looking.
Crews recovered Khandelwal's body a few hours later around 7 p.m. by using sonar to find the man's body 75 feet underwater, Patterson said.
Millgate was glad he could help the woman but wished he could have done more.
"I'm not a hero," he said. "Saved one, but … that other dude drowned at my feet somewhere."
Patterson noted the importance of using life jackets at all times.
"With paddle sports continuing to increase in popularity, it would be irresponsible for Utah State Parks to not remind everyone about the importance of life jacket safety," Utah State Parks said in a statement. "While state law only requires an adult have a life jacket onboard their vessel, wearing the life jacket while on the water at all times could make all the difference."
Eighty percent of boating fatalities involve people who are not wearing a life jacket, Utah State Parks said.
Contributing: Ashley Stilson and Sean Moody
