Body recovered of Johnston man, 21, a Valley grad, who disappeared while swimming in Lake Red Rock
A search crew Sunday morning recovered the body of a 21-year-old Johnston man who went missing Saturday night while swimming at Lake Red Rock.
In a news release, the Marion County Sheriff's Office cited witnesses who said the man, identified as Urias Gbarjolo, was swimming with a group of people outside the designated swimming area at the Whitebreast Boat Ramp between Pella and Knoxville when he went underwater and did not resurface.
The sheriff's office received the report just before 7:30 p.m., and it and other agencies hunted unsuccessfully for Gbarjolo until midnight. The search resumed at 6 a.m. Sunday.
More: Stay safe in and on the water this summer with tips from the experts
Just after 10 a.m. a sheriff's boat using side-scan sonar located Gbarjolo, the release said. He was brought to shore, where he was pronounced dead, it said.
His body will be taken to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Ankeny for an autopsy.
“My heart goes out to the family of this young man," Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt said in a statement. "It is always sad when an individual with such a promising future is taken from us at such a young age. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.”
Gbarjolo would have been entering his senior year this fall at the University of Dubuque, where he was studying digital art and design, according to the university's athletics website. He played wide receiver for the football team during his freshman year and was listed as a hurdler on the men's track and field roster for the 2022-23 season.
He graduated from Valley High School in West Des Moines in 2020, where he also played football and ran track. He recorded six tackles and an interception as a senior during the 2019 football season for Valley, which went 12-1 and reached the Class 4A state title game. He ran on the shuttle hurdle relay team that won the state title and set an all-time state record in 2019.
Valley High varsity head football coach Gary Swenson said Sunday that Gbarjolo played on the varsity team in 2018 and 2019. He described him as a kind person, a good athlete and a hard worker.
"We certainly enjoyed him being a part of our football team," Swenson told the Des Moines Register Sunday night. "Our hearts go out to his family. We want to just say how deeply saddened we are."
Assisting the Marion County sheriff's office in the search were the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Knoxville Fire and Rescue, the Pleasantville Fire and Rescue and dive team, the Knoxville and Pella rural fire departments, the Central Iowa Dive team and the Marion County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Gbarjolo's death is the latest in a long history of drownings in Iowa's largest lake. The first drowning was recorded in July 1970 — about a year after the reservoir's completion. Most recently, the body of an Oskaloosa man, the victim of what authorities said was an apparent drowning, was found on the shoreline last October, 10 days after his disappearance.
Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of the most hazardous season of the year on lakes and waterways. Also Saturday, Jeffrey Mattison, 51, of Cedar Rapids, was transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics after his boat crashed into a bridge piling in the Cedar River, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported.
Beach and swimming safety
Whether you're swimming in a pond, lake or public pool, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources urges Iowans to keep this information and advice in mind:
Iowa’s public beaches do not have lifeguards on duty
Drowning is silent. Keep an eye on family members and young children.
Keep young children at arm's reach at all times. Never leave small children alone or in the care of another young child while swimming.
Use sunscreen and drink plenty of water.
Avoid alcohol use while swimming (note that alcohol is prohibited at some public beaches).
Glass bottles are prohibited on beaches.
In lakes, swim only within the roped-off designated swimming area.
Swim with a buddy.
Obey posted signs and flags.
Take swimming lessons and learn to swim ahead of time. If you can't swim, wear a life jacket or other type of personal flotation device.
Learn how to perform CPR.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Body of Johnston swimmer, 21, recovered from Lake Red Rock in Iowa
