Andhra Pradesh man drowns in US lake
A man from Andhra Pradesh, Avinash Kuna aged 32, drowned in Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey on Saturday where he went with his friends to celebrate his birthday.
In Short
- The incident happened on Saturday
- He was celebrating his birthday when the tragic accident took place
- His family members have sought help from Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
Avinash Kuna, 32, from Andhra Pradesh, drowned in Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey, US on Saturday. He was celebrating his birthday when the tragic accident took place.
Kuna, originally from Visakhapatnam went to Lake Hopatcong along with eight friends and rented a pontoon boat to tour the lake.
During the boat ride, Kuna jumped into the water, following which his friends realised that he was drowning. They tried to hand him a life vest; however, Avinash Kuna could not reach it and drowned.
His friends who were also on the boat said Avinash Kuna's legs got caught up in the weeds in the lake because of which he was pulled under.
Later Bridge Marina and 911 were called for help.
After the tragic incident, his friends started an online fundraiser to send the body back to India for his family and well-wishers to perform the last rites. So far $37,000 has been crowd sourced.
"He went in, went forward a bit, and when he tried to come back, something caught his leg, and he seemed to drown right away, I saw him floating," his friend Jay Majeti told North Jersey Media Group.
Majeti said that he tried to save his friend and dove in with his life jacket on. "But my life jacket came off, and then I was about to drown when my friends pulled me out," he said. "In the 5 seconds that took, we lost him," Majeti told the media.
Hopatcong Mayor Michael Francis monitored the recovery efforts from the lakeside parking lot.
"It's only about 5 to 8 feet deep there in the cove, but the weeds are 3 feet high," said Francis as quoted by the news organisation.
Francis also spoke to Avinash Kuna's family members in India, with the assistance of a translator.
Describing Avinash Kuna, who had completed his MS from the US, his friends said, "Avinash is one of the very few people who was loved by all his associates for his simple nature and willingness to help others."
Avinash had only recently started working at the UPS Technology Center in Parsippany and was supporting his family. The news of his death shocked his mother and she has been hospitalized in Visakhapatnam.
His family members have also sought help from Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Meanwhile, New Jersey State Police resumed their search for his body on Monday morning, which was hampered earlier due to bad weather.