MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — Two men drowned Sunday afternoon while they were trying to cool off near Topock Gorge on the Colorado River, officials said. 

Anoop Gankidi, 32, of Tempe and Venkata Mukkaala, 32, of Milpitas, California have been identified as the two men who were pulled from the water after they failed to resurface on Aug. 3, according to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office. 

The two men were reportedly part of a group of five individuals that had been using a rental pontoon. MCSO said the boat had been parked on a beach along the river and the group entered the water to cool down. 

Three of the individuals began to struggle in the water but one of them managed to get back to the shallow area. MCSO said Mukkaala and Gankidi did not resurface.

A diver was able to locate the two men and they were pulled out of the water. MCSO said they were found in 12 feet of water and had been underwater for about 20 minutes when the diver arrived.

Gankidi and Mukkaala were taken to the hospital and both were pronounced deceased.

https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/sheriff-tempe-resident-drowns-at-colorado-river-mohave-county-arizona/75-b737011c-7289-4f54-9c7c-8f1adb6934d0