A software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, India, drowned at a beach in Florida, United States while trying to save his son.
Potti Venkata Rajesh Kumar, 44, passed away around 04:30 AM IST on Sunday, July 2. Rajesh was visiting Jacksonville Beach in Florida with his wife and two children before the US Independence Day on July 4.
Rajesh saw his son and daughter had gone far into the sea. However, he rushed in to help his son as he noticed them struggling with the rip currents, reported Times of India. The bystanders also rushed in to help them as both father and son got caught in the rip currents.
Rajesh’s brother P Vijay Kumar narrated the chain of events to PTI. He said they pulled his brother out of the water in an unconscious condition and rushed him to the hospital. However, the doctors declared him brought dead.
Brendon Townsend, another visitor at the beach, was among the first people to jump in and rescue Rajesh and his son. He also performed CPR on Rajesh’s 12-year-old boy. However, his son later responded to the shock treatment in the ICU. Rajesh’s brother said he is now stable, aware and talking.
Rajesh Kumar, a native of Bapatla district in Andhra Pradesh, moved to the United States in January 2022. His wife and children joined him in May 2023. He worked at a startup in the United States.
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Rajesh’s brother said the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) in the US is helping them send his brother’s body to India. They have also approached the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society for local help and support. Chief of Telugu Desam Party, N Chandrababu Naidu, wrote to the Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar to help bring Rajesh’s body to India and support his grieving family. He shared the victim’s passport number and contact details for the repatriation.
A similar incident occurred a month ago at a California beach when an Indian-American man lost his life while saving his 13-year-old son. Although Srinivasa Murth Jonnalagadda saved his son’s life, he could not overcome the powerful riptide. The incident happened at Panther State Beach in Santa Cruz County.
(With inputs from agencies)
