Three Indian-origin Americans drown as ice gives way in frozen US lake

Three Americans of Indian-origin, including a woman, drowned after they fell through the ice while walking on a frozen lake in the US state of Arizona.

The incident occurred on December 26 at Woods Canyon Lake in Coconino County of Arizona.

“The missing men are located deceased and identified as Narayana Muddana, 49 and Gokul Mediseti, 47. The female victim has been identified as Haritha Muddana. The three victims resided in Chandler, Arizona and are originally from India,” Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday. Chandler is a suburb of Phoenix, the capital of Arizona.

Officials said they were able to pull Haritha out of the water soon after the incident and administered life-saving measures but could not revive her.

Crews then began searching for Narayana and Mediseti who were found dead on Tuesday afternoon, the Sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies stationed at a substation in the area were called to the lake after two men and a woman were walking on the frozen lake and fell through the ice,”  the official statement explained.

Woods Canyon Lake is located in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests and is popular resort for hikers, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.