LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. (KY3 and KMOV.com) – The two people who drowned at Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend have been identified as two men from India.
According to the drowning report, the men have been identified as 24-year-old Uthej Kunta and 25-year-old Shiva D. Kelligari. Saint Louis University later told News 4 that Kunta and Kelligari were graduate students in the Health Data Science Program.
According to Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F, troopers received a call around 2:40 p.m. Saturday requesting assistance to find two people last seen in the water at the .5 mile mark of the main channel near the Bagnel Dam.
The drownings occurred when Kelligari began to struggle in the water, went under, and did not come back up. Kunta dove into the water to rescue Kelligari and also did not come back up.
The body of the first man was recovered by rescue crews and pronounced dead two hours after the incident on Saturday. Crews weren’t able to recover the second body until 9 a.m. Sunday morning.
Bradley Kinkade manages the Airbnb the men were staying in. He says he called 911 after hearing cries for help.
“I grabbed my phone called 911 and my daughter also grabbed hers and called 911,” said Kinkade. “My brother jumped in the water tried to save him but by the time he got to the kayak, they were already gone.”
The Missouri State Highway Patrol dive team, Lake Ozark Police Department, and the Lake Ozark Fire Department all assisted in the rescue.
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