A tragic incident took place at a beach in Florida, United States, where a software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, India lost his life while attempting to rescue his son. Potti Venkata Rajesh Kumar, aged 44, passed away early in the morning on Sunday, July 2, according to Indian Standard Time. Rajesh, accompanied by his wife and two children, had visited Jacksonville Beach in Florida as part of their pre-Independence Day trip, scheduled for July 4.
While at the beach, Rajesh noticed that his son and daughter had ventured too far into the sea and were struggling against the powerful rip currents. Responding to their distress, he rushed in to assist his son. Bystanders also joined in the rescue efforts, but unfortunately, both Rajesh and his son became trapped in the rip currents.
Rajesh’s brother, P Vijay Kumar, recounted the sequence of events to the Press Trust of India (PTI). He mentioned that they managed to retrieve Rajesh from the water, but he remained unconscious. They swiftly transported him to the hospital, where the doctors, regrettably, pronounced him dead upon arrival.
Brendon Townsend, a fellow visitor at the beach, was one of the first individuals to intervene and rescue Rajesh and his son. He even administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to Rajesh’s 12-year-old boy. Fortunately, the son eventually responded positively to the life-saving treatment while in the intensive care unit. Rajesh’s brother expressed that his condition has stabilized, and he is now conscious and able to communicate.
Originally hailing from the Bapatla district in Andhra Pradesh, Rajesh Kumar relocated to the United States in January 2022. His wife and children joined him in May 2023, and he was employed at a startup in the US.
To facilitate the repatriation of Rajesh’s body to India, his brother revealed that the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) in the US is providing assistance. They have also reached out to the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society for local support. N Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief of the Telugu Desam Party, wrote a letter to the Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, requesting aid in bringing Rajesh’s remains back to India and offering support to the grieving family. The passport number and contact details of the deceased were shared for the repatriation process.
This unfortunate incident resembles a similar tragedy that occurred a month earlier at a beach in California. An Indian-American man lost his life while saving his 13-year-old son at Panther State Beach in Santa Cruz County. Despite successfully rescuing his son, Srinivasa Murth Jonnalagadda succumbed to the powerful riptide, leaving his family in a state of devastation.
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