Sakae Esther Fujimoto was an accomplished scientist and open water swimmer who passed away from injuries sustained in a collision with a boat’s propeller at Pineview Reservoir. She was passionate about pool and open water swimming and had survived bilateral hip replacements and breast cancer.

According to the Deserte News, she was hit and killed by boaters on August 2011 while swimming 80-100 yards offshore. According to reports, after she was hit, a resident heard her cries for help and rowed a boat to help her until rescue crews could arrive.

“It sounded like she was in a lot of pain.” When the neighbor rowed his boat to Esther, he knew she needed medical attention. “When I pulled up alongside of her, she said, ‘Help me. Help me.’ That was it. That’s all she said. … She never said another word.”

Charges have been filed against the three men in the incident whose attorney has argued in their defense that Esther was negligent for swimming in the open water according to news reports. Attorney Greg Skordas wrote that Fujimoto “assumed certain risks when she chose to swim in open water without taking precautions to alert others of her presence.”

Pineview Reservoir is a beautiful venue for fishing and water sports in Ogden Valley east of Ogden City, Utah. Because the reservoir is located in a small valley, ringed by mountains, the wind is minimal and the water is often glassy calm – ideal for water skiing and an attraction for many swimmers.

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