Former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff quarterback Benjamin Anderson drowned at Lake Ouachita over the weekend, officials said.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, with assistance from the Piney Fire Protection Department, began searching the lake for Anderson on Saturday around 3:30 p.m., according to Keith Stephens, a spokesman for the agency.
Anderson, who started 44 of 45 games at UAPB and built a professional career in Japan, was found by the commission’s dive team around 3 p.m. the next day, the commission said. He was discovered under 35 feet of water.
UAPB's athletic department acknowledged Anderson's death on social media Monday.
Stephens said Anderson drowned after being pulled on a tube without a life jacket.
In an email, he encouraged visitors at Arkansas’ lakes to practice water safety.
“Always wear a life jacket,” he said. “Don’t drink alcohol while boating. Make sure to take advantage of the boating education course we offer.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect photo.