It seems there was nothing ordinary about Scott Pederson.

His wife described him as "well-rounded," "phenomenal" and "so funny." In the words of one of his best friends, "there will never be another like him." And, in his death, he has been called a "hero."

Pederson, 32, died Saturday in Upper Barker Lake near Boulder Mountain after diving in to save his two sons. Though he was a trained diver, the cold water and weeds at the bottom of the lake took their toll.

Jalee Scott, one of Pederson's closest friends, said the St. George man "fought as hard as he could."

"We're just so lucky that he got those boys out of the water when he did," Scott said. "If it weren't for Scott, (Pederson's wife) Shaunna could've lost both of those little boys."

The family day at the lake took a tragic turn when the Pedersons' sons, Gabe, 7, and Noah, 4, were swimming in the lake while he was on a pedal boat nearby. When the boys started to struggle to swim, Pederson dove in to save his boys. He was able to keep their heads above water, and he called for the help of his father- and brother-in-law.

Officials said the two men were on opposite sides of the lake when they dove in to help.

They were able to get the two boys on the boat, but when they turned to help Scott Pederson, he had slipped below the water's surface.

Pamela Frost, Scott Pederson's mother-in-law, said many family members were called upon to act as heroes that day. As she and Shaunna Pederson watched the "frantic scene" from the shore, they thought they might lose everyone, she said.

"I think, from the shore, we were certain there would be five bodies," Frost said. "It doesn't make it any easier that there was just one, but we were blessed that there was only one. He truly was a hero in his little boys' eyes. He was always there for them, and that's what he was doing then."

According to family and friends, Scott Pederson was a talented actor and writer, a competitive sports fan who loved basketball, a joker and comedian who could make you laugh "until you almost wet your pants," a committed member of the LDS Church and a military man.

But more than anything else, he was devoted to his family.

Shaunna Pederson said her husband "died proving" the love for his family that defined him in life.

He was never too busy for his kids, she said, and he even expanded his interests to include theirs.

"He was never really into video games, but we've got one son who loved them, and so he would sit and play with them," Shaunna Pederson said. "He would just light up and be so excited."

Frost said Scott Pederson made both his own family and his wife's a priority and ensured they were there for all major events.