Indian-American Dies Trying To Rescue Drowning 12-Year-Old Son in California

Srinivasa Murthy entered the water, not knowing how to swim, when he saw his son struggling to stay above board.

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(Photo: iStock)

In a tragic incident at California's Panther State Beach, an Indian-American man lost his life while attempting to save his 12-year-old son.

Despite not knowing how to swim, Srinivasa Murthy Jonnalagadda entered the water when he noticed his son struggling to get out.

Jonnalagadda successfully rescued his son but was subsequently caught in a powerful riptide, which dragged him into deeper waters and saw him struggle to stay above board in front of his family's eyes.

Emergency services were alerted, and multiple agencies were dispatched and then airlifted to Stanford Hospital, where he passed away a few hours later.

A fundraiser on GoFundMe called for donations to assist Jonnalagadda’s family, his wife and two children, with immediate expenses such as funeral costs, medical bills, and other unforeseen financial obligations.

Jonnalagadda had two children – a 13-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter – and had taken his family to a nearby beach on kids’ request on Monday evening with no intentions of entering the water.

"He was a man of action, always putting his family first, and a fun-loving soul with a highly positive outlook. His willingness to help others knew no boundaries and he never refused anyone needing assistance of any kind. Srinivasa and his wife were actively involved in community service and positively impacted many lives with their support and kindness."

GoFundMe for Srinivasa Murthy Jonnalagadda

Jonnalagadda earned a Bachelors in Computer Science from Hyderabad's Avanthi College and subsequently pursued a Masters from Osmania University, where he went on to teach for a few years.

He used to work as a software developer at Microsoft India, and further worked at Symantec, which is now called Gen Digital.