Nevada’s Marc Ma presumed dead after paddle board accident
Nevada defensive end Marc Ma is presumed dead after a Lake Tahoe search to find him was suspended.
Ma, 20, was paddle boarding with a group of Nevada football players on Friday. From KCRA:
Several University of Nevada at Reno football players were on a paddle board trip when the group found themselves in trouble about 1.7 miles offshore, officials said.
North Tahoe Fire spokesman Ron Carson said other paddle boarders had turned back toward shore because of high winds and noticed 21-year-old Marc Ma, the most experienced paddle boarder, was missing.
After being unable to locate Ma, officials said Saturday the search had turned from a rescue to a recovery search. Ma was not wearing a flotation device.
“Laura and I spent time at the lake today with Marc’s parents, Michele and Michael, and our thoughts and prayers are with Marc’s entire family and friends in Hawaii and with those close to him here in Reno,” Nevada coach Brian Polian said in a statement. “We share in their devastation and will support them in any way we can. We are thankful for the courageous efforts of search personnel.”
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“Marc was a very special young man and it was an honor to work with him. He was universally liked and respected by his teammates, coaches and staff. Marc excelled in the classroom and had grown by leaps and bounds in the weight room and on the football field. His easy smile and cheerful demeanor belied a fierce competitive nature that would emerge in practice and excite our team.
A native of Honolulu, Ma was a redshirt freshman in 2015 and did not participate in any game action.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
