California, June 6 : While taking his family on a beach excursion in California, an Indian American father of two lost his life trying to save one of his children from a riptide.
According to a fundraiser organised by family and friends seeking assistance, Srinivasa Murthy Jonnalagadda was having fun with his family at Panther Beach in Santa Cruz last week when tragedy happened. He did not know how to swim.
The Indica news stated that “unexpectedly a large wave came and knocked his son down and subsequent large waves began to drag him into the ocean.”
When he saw that his son was having trouble getting out of the water, he immediately raced to save him.
With the aid of a Samaritan, Srinivasa was able to save his son, but he was tragically carried into deeper water by the riptide as his family helplessly watched him drown.
Srinivasa was rescued by emergency workers who arrived on the scene, and CPR was started on him before he was loaded aboard a California Highway Patrol chopper and sent to a hospital.
At Stanford Hospital, he was declared dead after succumbing to his wounds.
Members of several law enforcement organisations, including State Parks, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Cruz Fire, saved Srinivasa, according to the Kion46 news station.
Donations are being sought through GoFundMe to help Srinivasa’s family with sudden expenses like funeral costs, medical bills, and other financial commitments.
