UNR student ID’d as paddleboarder presumed dead

By Associated Press
 
Authorities have identified a paddleboarder who went missing in Lake Tahoe as a UNR football player.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office says the search was ongoing Saturday for Marc Ma, but at this time believe it will be recovery.

Marc Ma

According to a news release, Ma was on a paddleboard trip with several football players the afternoon of June 10. The group was on the West Shore when they encountered strong winds. There had been a lake wind advisory Friday.

Ma’s board was found adrift. He was not wearing a life jacket.

“The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is calling this search one of recovery, not rescue. As such, it is with an incredibly heavy heart that we acknowledge the loss of Marc Ma, a beloved member of our Wolf Pack family,” Nevada head football Coach Brian Polian said in a statement.

Ma, who is from Honolulu, is listed on the Nevada Wolf Pack website as a sophomore who plays defensive end.

North Tahoe Fire Protection District officials say crews were called shortly before 3:30pm Friday to Obexer’s Marina, about 700 yards off shore. North Tahoe Fire spokesman Ron Carson says other paddleboarders had turned back toward shore because of high winds and noticed one person was missing.