After three Indian nationals fell through ice on a frozen lake in the USA and died, a GoFundMe campaign raised over Rs 5 crore for the family of the deceased. On December 26, 2022, a couple and their friend — identified as Narayana Muddana (49), Haritha Muddana, and Gokul Mediseti (47) — visited Woods Canyon Lake in Arizona when they drowned after falling through the ice. In an effort to raise money to support the families of the deceased, over 12,000 people contributed $612,296 (over Rs 5.05 crore), the Times of India reported.
According to TOI, the GoFundMe campaign was started by a woman named Parvathi Mettu, who is reportedly a close friend of the Muddanna family. Narayana and Haritha Muddana are survived by two daughters aged 11 and 7. Gokul Mediseti is survived by his wife and child. On January 3, Parvathi posted an update on the GoFundMe page stating that Narayana and Haritha Muddana’s children have been transferred to the care of their grandparents.
Narayana, Haritha and Gokul were residents of Chandler in Arizona, and they had visited Woods Canyon Lake along with the couple’s daughters. The three were walking on the lake’s frozen surface when the ice cracked and they fell through. Officials had said that while Narayana and Gokul were dead by the time their bodies were retrieved, Haritha was pulled from the freezing water soon after she fell. However, efforts to revive her were unsuccessful and she was declared dead. Woods Canyon Lake is located east of Payson in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. It is an area popular among hikers, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts.