Andhra Pradesh techie drowns in Missouri river in the US on his birthday

A 26-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh drowned in the Meramec river in Missouri, United States, on April 11. The tragedy unfolded on the same day he was celebrating his birthday.

Singireddy Sai Sree Hari Krishna, a native of Piridi village in Bobbili mandal, Vizianagaram district, had gone with friends to Meramec State Park near Sullivan to celebrate his birthday. The group had checked into a resort before he entered the river for a swim.

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Sree Hari, despite being a swimming enthusiast, was pulled under by underwater weeds. Within moments after entering the waters, he reportedly struggled to stay afloat and did not resurface. Crews from the Sullivan fire department recovered his body, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

A career cut short too soon

Hari Krishna had moved to the United States in 2023 after completing his BTech from a private college in Vizianagaram. He later earned a master's degree in engineering and, just a few months ago, secured a job at Elessent Clean Technologies in St Louis, roughly 130 km from where the tragedy occurred. Friends described him as someone who enjoyed swimming and entered the water without hesitation.

Family awaits son's return home

Back in Piridi, the news has devastated his family. The youngest of three siblings, Hari Krishna is survived by his parents: his father, Srinivasa Rao, an auto-rickshaw driver, and his mother, Ramadevi, a primary health centre employee, and two married sisters.

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Days before his death, he had called home, promising to send money so his parents could buy a small plot and build a house in the village. Efforts are now underway to repatriate his body to India.