UPDATE, March 2021: In a December toxicology report, the Utah Medical Examiner found John Johnson had no traces of alcohol in his bloodstream at the time of his drowning.

A 22-year-old U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman and Chapel Hill native died Monday night after drowning in a pool.

A release from the federal academy on Wednesday confirmed Midshipman 1st Class John Johnson drowned while on leave and in Park City, Utah. Johnson, who graduated from East Chapel Hill High School, was a member of the 29th Company and served as a platoon commander. He was set to graduate with the Class of 2021.

Reports from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office in Utah on Tuesday said deputies responded to a reported drowning at a resort hotel’s outdoor swimming pool around 9:45 p.m. on December 14. The office said Johnson told three friends with him he was going to try underwater breathing training in the pool. After five minutes without surfacing, the friends jumped in, pulled Johnson out and found he wasn’t breathing. According to the report, the group performed CPR until medical personnel arrived.

The Naval Academy’s post on Wednesday said after being transported to Park City Medical Center for continued care, Johnson was declared deceased. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office said it was found the group “had been consuming alcohol throughout the day.”

“We are deeply saddened to learn about the death of Midshipman John Johnson,” said Vice Admiral Sean Buck, 63rd Superintendent for the U.S. Naval Academy. “My wife, Joanne, and I, on behalf of our Naval Academy family here in Annapolis including the many midshipmen, faculty, staff who had formed deep bonds with John, extend our heartfelt condolences to the Johnson family.”

Initially raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Johnson’s family moved to Chapel Hill where he participated in East Chapel Hill High’s football and track programs. He then attended UNC before being selected for the Naval Academy and reporting to Annapolis in 2017. According to the school’s release, Johnson was an Honors Mathematics major, ranked top 100 academically and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Association Leadership Award in 2019.

Johnson is survived by his parents and four younger brothers. Funeral arrangements are pending, according to the academy.

The full release from the U.S. Naval Academy can be found here.

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