NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Topock Gorge, AZ, August 6, 2025:Two 32-year-old Indian-origin men drowned in the Colorado River near Topock Gorge on Sunday while swimming off a rented pontoon boat, authorities said.
The victims, identified as Anoop Gankidi of Tempe, Arizona and Venkata “Venkat” Mukkaala of Milpitas, California, were part of a group of five friends who had anchored their boat to cool off in the water.
According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, three members of the group began struggling in the roughly 12-foot-deep water. One managed to return to the boat, but Gankidi and Mukkaala disappeared beneath the surface and did not resurface for nearly 20 minutes.
A rescue diver later recovered their bodies, and emergency crews attempted life-saving measures before transporting them to Colorado River Medical Center in Needles, California, where they were pronounced dead.
Investigators have ruled out alcohol or drug involvement in the incident and are continuing to look into other factors, including water conditions and safety procedures aboard the boat.
Both men were from Telugu-speaking families and had settled in the United States for work. Their deaths have shocked members of the Indian American community in Arizona and California, where friends have begun fundraising to assist the families.
The Colorado River, which flows through rugged canyons and popular recreational areas, sees several drownings each summer, often involving boaters and swimmers caught off guard by strong currents and sudden drop-offs.
Cover photo: Topock Gorge/Wikimedia.
