Canada news: Indian student drowns in lake in Toronto on his birthday, says report

In a tragic incident, a student from Telangana, who had went to Canada to pursue higher education, drowned while swimming with his friends in a lake in Toronto on his birthday.

The victim has been identified as Praneeth, fromMeerpet in Ranga Reddy district,Telangana.

He had gone out to celebrate his birthday.

During the celebrations, he reportedly made a bet with his friends and decided to swim instead of using a boat.

Unfortunately, as he reached the middle of the lake, he drowned.

In a video, Praneeth is seen jumping into the lake, while another video shows him taking a selfie with his friends on a motorboat.

Despite the desperate attempts by his friends he could not be saved.

The victim had moved to Canada in 2019 for studies while his elder brother migrated in 2022.

Praneeth’s father has requested the Telangana government and the Indian government to bring his son’s body back to India as early as possible.

“Both along with other friends visited the lake to celebrate the birthday of Praneeth on Saturday. On Sunday, they went swimming. While everyone returned, the younger one ( Praneeth) did not,” the grieving father told reporters.

After receiving information, rescue teams arrived at the spot and the body was fished out.

The news reached the family here on Monday through friends of their sons, the father said.

The incident has sent shocking waves across the state.

InJuly this year, a 25-year-old student from Telangana studying at Trine University, had died after he drowned at a waterfall at Albany in New York state.

Sai Surya Avinash Gadde had died on July 7 at Barberville Falls, Albany, about 240 km north of New York.

Gadde, originally from Telangana, had been spending the long weekend of July 4 in the waterfall area.

His LinkedIn profile showed he enrolled at Trine University in the US state of Indiana in the 2023-24 session.