Two Telugu-origin men, both 32 years old, tragically drowned in a boating accident on August 3 near Topock Gorge along the Colorado River in Arizona.
The victims have been identified as Anoop Gankidi of Tempe, Arizona, and Venkata Mukkaala of Milpitas, California. They were part of a group of five people on a rented pontoon boat. At one point, three of them, including Anoop and Venkata, entered the water to cool off.
According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, all three began to struggle in the water. While one managed to swim back to shallow waters, Anoop and Venkata went under and did not resurface.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded first and dispatched a diver. Both men were recovered from a depth of about 12 feet after being underwater for nearly 20 minutes.
Despite life-saving efforts, they were pronounced dead at the Colorado River Medical Center in Needles, California.
Authorities have ruled out the involvement of alcohol or drugs. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.
