WILLARD – A 38-year-old man died Saturday in stormy weather at Willard Bay State Park while rescuing his son.

At about 4:20 p.m., Andre Leon Debose of Layton was swimming and boating at the state park with his 17-year-old son when stormy weather began to affect the water near Eagle Beach. The 17-year-old boy noticed a 19-year-old woman having difficulty swimming and jumped into the water to help.

The woman was wearing a life jacket and was safely brought back on board the boat, but Debose’s son began to struggle in the water. Witnesses reported that Debose jumped out of the boat to help his son. In the water, Debose and his son both held on to a life jacket, but Debose sank and did not resurface.

According to Utah State Parks officials, the 17-year-old son was able to make it back to the boat and was later treated at the scene by paramedics.

Utah State Parks Police officers immediately arrived at the area and began searching, along with the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation ROV team and Box Elder County and Weber County search and rescue personnel. At approximately 11:15 p.m., rescue personnel were able to recover Debose’s body from the water.

Debose’s death is the second drowning in Willard Bay State Park within a week.

“As the recreation season continues, we urge all outdoor recreation workers to make safety their top priority. Always spend your recreation time with a buddy, wear a life jacket and be aware of weather conditions. Make sure someone knows your location and expected return time,” advised Devan Chavez, deputy director of Utah State Parks, in a statement.