An 18-year-old college basketball player at Northern Vermont University-Johnson is presumed dead after jumping into Lake Koocanusa near Eureka on Friday, July 24, according to the university and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
Mamadou N’Diaye was on a boat on the east side of Lake Koocanusa when he entered the water late Friday afternoon. N’Diaye did not resurface and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Can-Am Search and Rescue initiated a search. Subsequent efforts have included assistance from Flathead County Search and Rescue, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and Two Bear Air Rescue. N’Diaye’s body has not been recovered. The search is ongoing.
In a story on NVU-Johnson’s athletic website, N’Diaye was identified a Maryland native and graduate of Potomac High School who began his college career last season. The story called the 6-foot-5 N’Diaye “optimistic and caring” and said he was pursuing a career in engineering.