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last mo.

Two Men Drown During Cooling-Off Outing in Colorado River

The sheriff’s office concluded that no impairment played a role in the deaths after divers recovered the victims from 12 feet below the surface.

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The Colorado River, bordering Arizona and California, is shown in this undated file photo. Two men, one from the Bay Area, drowned in the river over the weekend. 
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Overview

  • Five friends entered the river at Topock Gorge on Aug. 3 from a rented pontoon boat to escape the summer heat.
  • Three swimmers struggled in roughly 12 feet of water and one managed to reach shore safely.
  • San Bernardino County Sheriff’s divers located Anoop Gankidi, 32, and Venkata Mukkaala, 32, after about 20 minutes underwater.
  • Both men were transported to Colorado River Medical Center in Needles, California, where they were pronounced dead despite life-saving efforts.
  • The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office urged stricter adherence to boating and water safety guidelines after confirming no alcohol or drugs were involved.