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The family of a BYU student who is believed to have drowned in Utah Lake over the weekend is at peace, even as authorities continue to search for his body.
Lyle Decker, the father of 25-year-old Craig Decker, thanked search and rescue personnel for their help in locating his son's body, calling them "amazing human beings." Sitting next to his wife, Marie, with their six other children nearby, Lyle Decker said they all have reached a sense of genuine peace following their son's likely drowning.
Craig Decker, a West Jordan native, was sailing with his family Saturday evening when he jumped into the water to recover an oar. He went under the water about a mile southwest of Utah Lake State Park Marina and never resurfaced.
"The moments on the lake, when Craig was on the water and we were trying to rescue him, were difficult and they were frantic, and we did all that we could," Lyle Decker said. "But once we knew that he was gone, there became a sense of needing to move on and a sense of peace that came over us."
Many people have been touched by Craig's spirit, his father said, as evidenced by e-mails the family has received from across the country. Lyle Decker said he wanted his son's friends to know they were OK, and that Craig would want the same for everyone else who was close to him.
"He would want that. He would not want you to be hurt over this," Lyle Decker said.
Searchers from Utah County, Wasatch County and the Utah Department of Public Safety used boats to comb the area where Craig was last seen, using sonar to try to find his body. A search and rescue volunteer also flew over the area repeatedly in his helicopter. Sheriff's office spokesman Sgt. Spencer Cannon said rescuers have covered about 4 square miles of the lake.
Windy conditions prevailed on Sunday, forcing the Utah County Search and Rescue Team to discontinue the search in the afternoon. But weather conditions were optimal on Monday, and Cannon said rescuers planned to search until sundown.
Cannon said it was unlikely that searchers would dredge the lake floor.
"Sonar is proven to be more effective in locating targets when we're doing this kind of search," he said.
Lyle Decker said he was not concerned that his son's body would not be found.
"It's just a matter of when he's found. There's no fear or hurt or concern about that. These people know what they're doing," he said.
Craig Decker had been studying neuroscience at Brigham Young University. His focus had been on chiropractic medicine, but he switched to bioengineering after he lost his right hand to a fireworks accident in the first minutes of New Year's Day 2007, his father said.
On his profile on the video-sharing Web site YouTube, Craig posted several videos explaining how to perform everyday tasks with one hand, including typing, opening a can and tying shoelaces. Lyle Decker said Craig helped design his own prosthetic hand, and wanted to spend his life helping other people with similar handicaps.
Craig's friends have congregated on the social networking site Facebook to spread the word and invite everyone to pray for Decker and his family.
• Jeremy Duda can be reached at 344-2561 or
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