Indian-origin techie drowns in California waterfall on 26th birthday
13 Apr 2026

A 26-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, Singireddy Sai Sriharikrishna, drowned in a river in the United States on Saturday.

The incident took place while he was celebrating his birthday with friends at a waterfall in Meramec State Park near Sullivan, Missouri.

The group had checked into a resort at the park on the day of his birthday before he entered the Meramec River for a swim.

He was pulled down by underwater weeds
Incident details

According to reports, Sriharikrishna was pulled down by underwater weeds while swimming in the river. He struggled and went under but did not resurface.

Despite immediate rescue attempts by his friends, they couldn't save him due to the force of the water.

The Sullivan fire department later retrieved his body from the river. Authorities described it as an accident caused by dangerous water conditions.

He had completed his master's from a university in Missouri
Career journey

Sriharikrishna had moved to the United States in 2023 after completing his BTech from a private college in Vizianagaram.

He went on to pursue a master's degree in engineering and recently started working at Elessent Clean Technologies in St Louis.

The youngest of three siblings, he is survived by his parents, Singireddy Srinivasa Rao and Ramadevi, and two married sisters.

Family seeks help to bring back his body to India
Repatriation efforts

The sudden demise of Sriharikrishna has left his family and village in shock. His father works as an auto-rickshaw driver, while his mother is employed at a primary health center.

The family has approached local authorities for help in bringing his body back to India.

This incident is not isolated; it recalls similar tragedies involving young Indians from the Srikakulam-Vizianagaram belt drowning in American waters.