An Indian man has drowned while celebrating his birthday with his friends in the United States.
New Jersey-based Avinash Kuna, went to celebrate his birthday with his friends at Lake Hopatcong on June 2nd.
They rented a pontoon boat and went into the lake, his friends said in their fundraising appeal.
"During the activity, Avinash got into the water and within no time started saying something is pulling him down and screamed for help.
"He started flailing and was gasping for air. We tried to help with the life vest, but unfortunately, he couldn't reach it.
"Understanding that the situation is getting worse, one of our friends jumped into the water with a life vest, but we had to pull him out since his vest came off too.
"Avinash started to drown in water. Everything happened so quickly, and all of us were terrified," his friends said in an appeal to raise funds for his family.
The friends called 911 for help.
New Jersey state police recovered the body two days later Henderson Cove on Lake Hopatcong on Monday evening.
"Last evening at approximately 6:09 p.m., members of the State Police Marine Services Unit and T.E.A.M.S. Unit recovered the body of Avinash Kuna, 32, of Parsippany, N.J., from Henderson Cove on Lake Hopatcong," New Jersey state police posted on its Facebook page.
"Marine Services Bureau troopers used side-scan sonar sub-surface detection equipment to aid in locating the victim. Assisting in the search were State Police Aviation, Missing Persons, and T.E.A.M.S. Units as well as the Jefferson Fire Department. The recovery efforts continued through the weekend but were met with no results," N.J. State police said.
Avinash belonged to Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. He was a software engineer and had moved to the U.S. five years ago to study at New Mexico State University. He was running his own company along with working for a technology company.
Avinash's friends are raising funds to help his grieving family.
"All dreams are now shattered with one tragic event. Knowing about this incident, his mother has been hospitalized in India. In this need of the hour, we kindly request your prayers for him and his family," friends said in their appeal.
