A graduate student from Oklahoma State University drowns while duck hunting at Sooner Lake reservoir.

A graduate student from Oklahoma State University drowned while duck hunting at the state’s Sooner Lake reservoir.

Jackson Williams, 24, was on his way to retrieve a duck he had shot on Sunday when he hit a drop-off within the reservoir. Water inundated his waders, weighing him down, and he was unable to resurface, according to an Oklahoma Game Wardens Facebook post.

“They come up to your chest and keep you from getting wet and cold and if water gets in, it can rush in and really weigh you down to where you can’t get out,” the captain of the OGW told KOCO-TV.

The wardens used side imaging sonar to locate Mr. Williams’ body and then assisted the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in retrieving it.

Mr. Williams was the Logan County OSU Extension Agriculture and 4H Educator and a former member of the school’s rodeo team.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Jackson Williams, a former member of the Ohio State Rodeo Team.” His upbeat demeanor and outlook on life were contagious, both on and off the field. Jackson will be sorely missed. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected,” the team said in a post on X.

“Even in his short time serving Logan County, he was well-known and liked by all who had met him,” the Logan County Cooperative Extension Service wrote on Facebook.