Arizona State engineering graduates waterfall hiking trip
Arizona State engineering graduates hiking classmates drown.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : Two recent Arizona State University (ASU) graduates tragically drowned while visiting the popular nature area of Fossil Creek in Arizona last week. The men, identified as 23-year-old Rakesh Reddy Lakkireddy and 25-year-old Rohith Manikanta Repala, had just graduated from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU on May 4. They were part of a group of 18 friends who hiked the four miles into the lower waterfalls on May 8.
The Gila County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) reported that around 6 p.m., multiple communication centers received distress calls and texts to 911 about one or two men who had entered the water at Fossil Creek and did not resurface. Witnesses at the scene informed first responders that two men had entered the water near the falls and failed to return to the surface. Tonto Rim Search and Rescue teams were deployed to the area and remained overnight.
The following morning, divers recovered the bodies of the two men submerged 20 feet underwater. It was a heartbreaking end to what was meant to be a celebratory time for the recent graduates. ASU’s engineering school has yet to comment on the tragedy.
According to Sgt. Cole LaBonte of GCSO, the group did not plan on extensive swimming during their visit to Fossil Creek but had taken a couple of life jackets with them on the hike. Unfortunately, the men found themselves in a situation that exceeded their swimming abilities when they slipped into the water. The water depth caught them off guard, leading to the tragic outcome.
The drownings of Lakkireddy and Repala are the first recorded incidents at Fossil Creek this year. The area, located near Camp Verde in Arizona, sees a surge in visitors during the summer months. Bill Pitterle of Tonto Rim Search and Rescue highlighted the increase in crowds at Fossil Creek in recent years, attributing it to the rise of social media photography.
Visitors to Fossil Creek are required to pay fees, obtain parking permits for specific lots, and make reservations between April 1 and October 1. Camping is permitted in designated areas during the spring and summer seasons. Camp Verde is the nearest town to Fossil Creek, as per the U.S. Forest Service.
The tragic deaths of these young graduates serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of water safety and being mindful of one’s swimming abilities in natural bodies of water. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of Rakesh Reddy Lakkireddy and Rohith Manikanta Repala during this difficult time..
Arizona State engineering graduates waterfall hiking trip classmates drown commencement.
