The grim discovery of two men, who had tragically lost their lives in the waters of Fossil Creek, has cast a shadow over the Coconino National Forest. Authorities were alerted to a distress situation at approximately 6 p.m. on May 8 when two men were reported to have gone into the Fossil Creek waters near Strawberry and failed to reappear, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.
A coordinated search and rescue effort was immediately launched with personnel from the Gila and Yavapai County Sheriff's Departments, DPS Air Rescue, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, and the Pine Strawberry Fire Department quickly responding to the scene, as per the AZ family. They worked through not only thoroughly searching but also securing the area, rooting out any hope for a swift rescue.
Divers retrieved the bodies on the morning of May 11th. Officials later identified the victims as 23-year-old Rakesh Reddy Lakkireddy and 25-year-old Rohith Manikanta Repala. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, both were residents of Tempe and recent graduates from the Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University.
Regarding the circumstances leading to this tragedy, Gila County Sheriff’s Sergeant Cole LaBonte revealed in statements how the victims, along with a group of friends, "inadvertently got into a position that exceeded their skill level by slipping into the water." The water turned out to be much deeper than they anticipated, he added. While the victims were believed to have had life jackets, it remained unclear whether they possessed the necessary swimming skills to navigate the treacherous waters.
