Three Dead After Falling Through the Ice At An Arizona Lake Trying To Take A Picture

Three people were recovered from a freezing Arizona Lake after they drowned from falling through the ice.

Police and family members say they were snapping pictures when three people fell through the ice.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office confirmed all three Indian nationals as 49-year-old Narayana Muddana and his wife, Haritha Muddana, and 47-year-old Gokul Mediseti.

Police responded to reports of the three missing people on Monday in Woods Canyon Lake.

Haritha Muddana was the first to be found and pulled from the water by rescuers but was later declared dead.  The following day, the two men were found.

According to the sheriff’s office spokesperson, Jon Paxton, the three families had traveled up from their homes in the Chandler suburb of Phoenix the day after Christmas to spend time outdoors.

It appeared they “wanted to get some pictures out on the ice,” Paxton said.

According to Kishore Pittala, a family friend, the Muddanas’ two children are currently under his care.

“It is a tough situation, so first thing is we are in shock, and we are really worried about the kids,” Pittala said.

So far, a GoFundMe created to support the three families has already raised more than half a million dollars.