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WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (PTI) — An Indian-American couple whose two teenage daughters were under the custody of the Arizona Department of Child Safety drowned when they fell into the ice while walking on a frozen lake.
The day after Christmas, Narayana Muddana, 49, and his wife Haritha Muddana and their friend Gokul Medisethi, 47, Gokul Mediseti drowned at Woods Canyon Lake in Coconino County, Arizona, USA.
They fell into the ice while walking on the frozen lake to take pictures. By the time someone got cell phone service on the mountain and first responders arrived with their limited resources of cold water rescue, it was too late, ABC15.com reported.
Rescuers pulled Haritha out of the water, but she was pronounced dead. The two were found the next day.
Read also | Uzbekistan claims 18 children died after consuming cough syrup made in India.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety had to be called to Forest Lake on Monday and take custody of the orphaned girls, ages 7 and 12.
“You never get used to it. Especially when you’re dealing with kids,” said Jon Paxton of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
“We want to make sure they feel as safe as possible. Keep them warm and away from the scene as much as possible,” he added.
On December 26th, three families – including six adults and five children – drove up from the valley to enjoy the snow outdoors.
“[They]wanted to take some pictures on the ice,” Paxton said. In the photo taken on the ice, three people fell into the minus 30 degree water.
According to a statement released by CCSO officials, “Delegates assigned to the substation in the area were called to the lake after two men and a woman were walking on the frozen lake and fell into the ice.”
Meanwhile, the community is mourning and rallying in support of two families torn apart by the anticipated tragedy, the report added.
“He’s a very funny, caring guy. He has a very good heart. Loves his kids,” said Kishore Pittala, Narayana’s next-door neighbor and close friend.
Kishore told ABC15 that the Muddana family invited his family to Woods Canyon Lake a few days ago.
“Sunday night, he sent me the link. ‘Hey, we’re going to this place. Do you want to join?’ I said, ‘No, I’m tired.'”
But the report added that two other families joined the Mudhana people celebrating Harissa’s birthday.
“A total of 11 people went there, and as you know, two families were affected,” said Venkat Kommineni, president of the Telugu Arizona Association.
Parents Narayana Rao and Haritha fell into the icy water with their friend Gokul, leaving behind a wife and a daughter.
“I was shocked,” Kishore said. “I don’t understand, did this moment really happen?”
Venkat told ABC15 he was surprised by how many people were trying to help the girls directly.
“I think five people contacted me and said, ‘Are these kids available for adoption? We’d like to take care of their lives.'”
Over $500,000 has been raised for affected families through a GoFundMe campaign.
“The money will be paid in the child’s name – for their education, their future, whatever else they need to do in life,” Venkate said.
Canyon Lake of the Woods is located in the Apache-Sitgraves National Forest east of Payson. The area is popular with hikers, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
As a massive winter storm continues to batter North America, more than a million Americans and Canadians face problems.
Bomb cyclones bring snow, strong winds and freezing temperatures as atmospheric pressure plummets. Nearly 250 million people were affected and at least 19 deaths were linked to the storm, which stretched more than 3,200 kilometers from Quebec to Texas.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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