Walking atop the frozen surface of Woods Canyon Lake proved fatal for three Indian nationals after they fell through the ice, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
The three deceased — all residents of and residents of Chandler, Arizona — were two men, 47-year-old Gokul Mediseti and 49-year-old Narayana Muddana, and a woman of unspecified age, Haritha Muddana.
The sheriff’s office responded to Woods Canyon Lake at around 3:30 p.m. local time Monday, and were able to locate Ms. Muddana and pull her from the water. However, life-saving measures were unsuccessful.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death, whether it be hypothermia, drowning, or another cause.
By Tuesday, Mr. Mediseti’s and Mr. Muddana’s bodies were recovered from the lake.
On Monday, three families, consisting of six adults and five children, visited the lake to take pictures, according to KNXV-TV, the Phoenix ABC affiliate.
The children included the Muddanas’ two daughters, ages 7 and 12, as well as Mr. Mediseti’s sole child. While taking pictures atop the ice far from shore, the surface cracked and the group fell in.
All in all, seven people fell through the ice. Kishore Pittala, a neighbor and family friend of the Muddanas, told Phoenix’s Fox affiliate KSAZ-TV that Mr. Mediseti had gone back to help rescue the Muddanas when he fell through as well.
“So in total, seven members, including two children, fell into the ice. One of the ladies pulled the two children and two of the adults came back on their own, but three were not able to make it out,” Mr. Pittala explained.
The Muddanas’ daughters witnessed the incident.
“It’s really unfortunate. They were in shock. I could clearly see that in their faces, they were in shock,” Mr. Pittala told KPNX-TV, a Phoenix NBC affiliate.
The daughters are staying with Mr. Pittala and his family while waiting for relatives to come here and take them back to India.
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