Andhra couple drown in frozen US lake

Amaravati, Dec 28: A couple from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district drowned after falling through the ice while walking on a frozen lake in the US state of Arizona. Narayana Muddana (40) and Haritha Muddana (36) were killed in the tragedy on December 26 at Woods Canyon Lake in Coconino County, according to information reaching their family in Guntur district.

The couple, who had been living in Arizona for seven years, had gone to the lake along with their daughters Pujitha (12) and Harshitha (10).

While clicking photographs of the lake, the ice suddenly collapsed and the couple drowned. The children, who were at the shore, are safe. According to reports, another Telugu man Gokul Mediseti (47) also drowned in the same lake but details about him were not known.

Emergency Disaster Teams launched a rescue operation. The body of Haritha was found the same day while the body of her husband was recovered the next day.

Narayana's father Venkata Subba Rao and mother Venkata Ratnam in Palaparru village were shocked. Subba Rao said they spoke to Narayana over phone on Monday and enquired about his well being in view of the winter storm in the US.

He, however, told his parents that there is not much impact in their area, adding that they were going for vacation due to year-end holidays.

Born in an ordinary family, Narayana worked hard to come up in life. After studying MSc, he secured a job in Malaysia and later went to the US. He married Haritha, who hailed from Annaparru village in the same district. The couple with their children had visited home in June this year.