The day after Christmas, the parents of two young girls and another father died of hypothermia after falling through the ice of a lake in Arizona, according to officials.
Monday, as the two families and another family were visiting Woods Canyon Lake, three of the parents slipped into the 30 degree water.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has named the victims as Narayana Muddana, 49, his wife Haritha, and Gokul Mediset, 47.
All of the families were originally from India, although they resided in Chandler, a city southeast of Phoenix.
Jon Paxton, an employee of the sheriff’s office, told ABC 15: “They were up here recreationally, enjoying the ice, and wanted to take pictures out on it.”
The family consisted of Narayana Muddana, his wife Haritha, and their two small daughters.
According to ABC 15, two children and a lady plunged through the ice while attempting to save their loved ones, barely escaping with their lives.
It was too late by the time they exited the water and obtained cell coverage to contact emergency personnel.
“At that point, hypothermia sets in very quickly,” Paxton added. And if you’re not a swimmer, it’s even more challenging.
It was too late to save the three parents from hypothermia after emergency personnel were alerted and arrived at the lake.
The Muddanas have two young girls, Pujitha, 11, and Harshita, 7, who are now residing with their neighbors, according to Narayana’s brother-in-law Naresh Babu Chimmineni, as reported by a local Indian news source.
“According to U.S. authorities, since the girls are minors, they can only be sent to India with a blood relative. Either the paternal or maternal grandparents would travel to the United States to fetch the children back,” he added.
Three additional youngsters from two additional homes observed the horrific event.
The age of Haritha Muddana was not readily apparent.
The incident is currently being investigated.
»Three parents perished after sliding through a lake’s ice in Arizona«