Milpitas man drowns in Colorado River during pontoon boat trip

(KRON) — A 32-year-old Milpitas man and a second man drowned in the Colorado River during a pontoon boat excursion in Arizona, officials said. The victims were identified by sheriff’s officials and family members as Venkata Srinivas Mukkaala of Milpitas, and Anoop Gankidi, 32 of Tempe, Arizona.

The double drowning happened at Topock Gorge on Sunday, August 3, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office officials said.

Investigators said Mukkaala, Gankidi, and three other swimmers had rented a pontoon boat.

After the group left the pontoon boat on a beach, they entered the Colorado River to swim and cool off from the sun. “Three of them slipped underwater and began to struggle. One of the occupants was able to get back to the shallow area, however Gankidi and Mukkaala did not resurface,” MCSO wrote.

A 911 caller said they were flagged down by another boater who said victims were drowning near Topock Gorge, MCSO said.

Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arrived first on scene and deployed an underwater diver.

“The two victims had been underwater for approximately 20 minutes when divers arrived on scene,” MCSO wrote. Mukkaala and Gankidi were found 12 feet below the river’s surface and divers pulled them out of the water.

The victims were pronounced deceased at Colorado River Medical Center.

A GoFundMe page created by the Milpitas man’s family states that Mukkaala moved to the United States with hopes of building a better future, “working tirelessly to support his family back home. His generosity, warmth, and selflessness will always be remembered by his friends, family, and community.”