Two people drowned Aug. 3 in the Colorado River, including a 32-year-old man from Tempe. They had gone into the water to cool off during a pontoon boat outing, according to law enforcement authorities.

The drowning victims were identified by the Mohave County Sheriff's Office as Anoop Gankidi, 32, of Tempe, and Venkata Mukkaala, 32, of Milpitas, California.

The men were part of a group of five people who entered the water to cool off while on a rented pontoon boat parked on a beach near Topock Gorge on the Colorado River, according to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office.

Three people slipped underwater and began to struggle, the sheriff's office said. One of them was able to get back to the shallow area. However, Gankidi and Mukkaala did not resurface, the sheriff's office said.

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