Who was Venkataramana Pittala? Indian student killed while jet-skiing in US
Venkataramana Pittala lost his life in a jet ski accident in Florida
Venkataramana Pittala, a 27-year-old Indian studying in the United States,died on Saturday (Mar 9) while riding a jet ski in Florida.He was pursuing a master's degree in health informatics at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Capt Dave Dipre, who spoke to Keynews.com, the incident involved a 17-year-old operating a personal watercraft colliding with the one driven by the Indian student,driving over and killing him.
The collision occurred at the waterpark area of Fury Watersports, which is commonly referred to as "Fury Playground" by locals.
Venkataramana's academic journey
As he approached the end of his academic journey in the US, Venkataramana was set to graduate in May 2024 with a master's degree. He had previously obtained a Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy from NTR Health University in Andhra Pradesh, according to PTI news agency.
The sudden loss of Venkataramana has left his family and friends in Telangana and the US devastated. His friends in the US rallied support for his family, initiating a fundraising campaign to cover the expenses of transporting his body and other related costs.
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The GoFundMe page set up by Venkataramana's family has received an overwhelming response from the public, with donations totaling $56,635.
Indian government's response
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yetto outline concrete steps regarding the repatriation of Venkataramana's body.His is the eighth death among Indian-origin students in the US.
Also watch |US: 25-year-old Indian student Vivek Saini hammered to death in Georgia
Here is a list of Indian who died in the US in 2024.
- Vivek Saini, a 25-year-old student in the US who was killed in Georgia on Jan 3.
- Neel Acharya, a 22-year-old Indian American student who was found dead in Purdue University campus on Jan 17.
- Akul Dhawan, A 21-year-old Indian American student found dead outside University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on Jan 18.
- Sameer Kamanth, a 25-year-old Indian American student who was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana on Jan 23.
- Shreyas Reddy Benigeri, a 19-year-old Indian American student foud dead in his dorm room in Ohio on Jan 31.
- Gattu Dinesh and Nikesh, two Indian students found dead at their residence in Connecticut on Feb 6.
- Syed Mazahir Ali, a 23-year-old Indian student was attacked by four armed robbers in Chicago on Feb 4.
(With inputs from agencies)