Three Indian Americans die after falling in frozen Arizona lake: Officials

By Team Newsable | First Published Dec 28, 2022, 1:27 PM IST

The Coconino Country Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said, "Narayana Muddana (49) and Gokul Mediseti (47) have been identified as the missing men. Haritha Muddana has been identified as the female victim. The three victims were from India and lived in Chandler, Arizona."

Three Indian Americans, including a woman, drowned after falling through the ice while walking on a frozen lake in the US state of Arizona. The tragic incident occured on December 26, 2022, at 3:35 pm at Woods Canyon Lake in Coconino Country, Arizona.

On Tuesday, in its statement, the Coconino Country Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said, "Narayana Muddana (49) and Gokul Mediseti (47) have been identified as the missing men. The victim identified as a woman is Haritha Muddana (age unknown). The three victims were from India and lived in Chandler, Arizona." Chandler is a suburb of Phoenix.

According to the official, they were able to pull Haritha out from the water soon after and administer life-saving measures; however, she died at the scene. The crew immediately started searching for Narayana and Mediseti, who had also fallen into the lake. According to the sheriff's office, the two men were discovered dead on Tuesday afternoon. All three bodies have been recovered.

According to the CCSO officials, "Two men and a woman were walking on the frozen lake when they fell through the ice, and deputies stationed at a nearby substation were called to the scene."

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Woods Canyon Lake is located in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, east of Payson. Hikers, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts frequent the area. As a massive winter storm continues to batter North America, over one million Americans and Canadians are experiencing difficulties.

A bomb cyclone develops when the atmosphere's pressure drops, bringing snow, powerful winds, and freezing temperatures. Nearly 250 million people are affected, and at least 19 have died due to the storm, which spans more than 3,200 kilometres from Quebec to Texas.

(With inputs from PTI)

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