Tragedy in Ozarks: 2 Telangana Students at St. Louis University Drowned in Missouri Lake Over Thanksgiving Weekend
- When Uthej Kunta, 24, who was swimming in the lake, failed to resurface, Shiva Kelligari, 25, dove into the water to save him.
Two Indian graduate students at St. Louis University drowned over Thanksgiving weekend in Lake of the Ozarks in Miller County, Missouri. The victims were identified as Uthej Kunta and Shiva Kelligari, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The incident occurred on Nov. 26, when Kunta, 24, who was swimming began to struggle and went underwater, news reports said, citing police. When he didn’t resurface, 25-year-old Kelligari dove into the water to save him. Both Kunta and Kelligari drowned.
Police recovered Kunta’s body a few hours, while Kelligari’s body was found by a dive team the following morning, news reports said. Both men were from Telangana and were enrolled in SLU’s health data science program.
Bradley Kinkade, who manages the Airbnb the men were staying in told KY3 TV that called 911 after hearing cries for help. “I grabbed my phone and called 911 and my daughter also grabbed hers and called 911,” he said. “My brother jumped in the water and tried to save him but by the time he got to the kayak, they were already gone.”
The university mourned the tragic incident as well. “We mourn with Uthej and Shiva’s friends and loved ones, their classmates and professors, the staff members who supported their journeys here at SLU, and all those who grieve,” SLU officials wrote in an email to students.