Searchers found the body of a BYU student who drowned in Utah Lake over the weekend, three days after he disappeared below the surface of the water.

A search-and-rescue helicopter spotted the body of 25-year-old Craig Decker floating in 10-foot-deep water about a mile west of Utah Lake State Park Marina in Provo around 9:43 a.m. Tuesday, according to Utah County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Spencer Cannon. Decker's body was found in the "same general area" where he disappeared Saturday evening, Cannon said.

Decker, a West Jordan native, was sailing with his family when he spotted an oar floating in the water. Lyle Decker said his son stepped into the water to recover the oar, then went underwater and never resurfaced.

Flanked by his wife, Marie, and their six children at a press conference at Utah Lake State Park, Lyle Decker said the word "closure" wasn't an accurate way to describe how they felt when searchers found his son's body.

"Our love continues, and so there will be nothing to close," he said. Lyle Decker said the family will likely hold his son's funeral next week.

Cannon said Decker was a good swimmer, and authorities are not entirely sure why he drowned. Winds were blowing at about 14 mph at the time, with mild gusts.

"It was a little bit rough at the time, not incredibly rough," he said.

Lyle Decker said his son may have been overtaken by waves on the lake, which have a tendency to go over people instead of allowing swimmers to ride up and down with them, as in the ocean.

"Craig was a good swimmer, but the nature of the waves and perhaps other factors that we don't understand ... seem to be what may have made this happen," he said. "Even a good swimmer in that kind of water is going to have a difficult time."

The search helicopter made its first pass of the day around 7 a.m., and search crews in boats, including a Department of Public Safety dive boat equipped with sonar equipment, went out on the lake around 9 a.m. On Monday evening, Lyle Decker went up in the helicopter with the Utah County Search and Rescue Team to help pinpoint the spot where Decker was last seen.

Decker studied neuroscience at Brigham Young University. His focus had been on chiropractic medicine, but he switched to bioengineering after he lost his right hand in a fireworks accident in the first minutes of New Year's Day 2007.

After the accident, he devoted much of his time to helping others with similar disabilities. His profile on the video-sharing Web site YouTube includes several demonstrations of how to perform everyday tasks, such as tying shoelaces and opening cans, with one hand.

"As he learned how to cope with that, he shared what he learned," Lyle Decker said.

Lyle Decker also shared some words of wisdom his son had posted on the Web site: "Challenges make us stronger and better. With creativity and patience, we are capable of much more than we ever imagined."

A scholarship fund and trust fund are being set up in Decker's name, his father said.

The family has set up a Web site where friends and loved ones can share their memories of Decker. Anyone wishing to visit the site can do so at www.craig-decker.com.

• Jeremy Duda can be reached at 344-2561 or jduda@heraldextra.com.