Southwest
Arizona State engineering graduates drown in waterfall days after convocation on hiking trip with classmates
Two recent Arizona State University (ASU) graduates drowned while visiting a popular nature area known as Fossil Creek last week.
The men were part of a group of 18 friends who hiked the four miles into the lower waterfalls on May 8, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) told FOX 10 Phoenix. Around 6 p.m., several nearby communication centers began receiving texts and calls to 911 about one or two men who entered the water and did not resurface, GCSO said in a press release.
Multiple departments responded to the scene, and witnesses told first responders that two men entered the water near the falls and did not come back up. Tonto Rim Search and Rescue remained on the scene overnight.
The next morning, two bodies were found by divers 20 feet underwater.
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The rise of social media photography has led to many wanting to visit the Fossil Creek area, near Camp Verde, Arizona. (FOX 10 Phoenix)
The men have been identified as 23-year-old Rakesh Reddy Lakkireddy and 25-year-old Rohith Manikanta Repala. Both graduated from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering just days before, on May 4. They were part of the school’s 4,589 spring graduates, according to a tweet from the dean of the Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU, Kyle Squires.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of two of our very recent graduates who were preparing for the next steps in their promising lives,” Squires said in an emailed statement to Fox News. “Our sincere condolences go out to the families and friends of Rakesh and Rohith.”
The group did not intend on doing “a lot of swimming,” but they did take a couple of life jackets with them on the hike, GSCO’s Sgt. Cole LaBonte told FOX 10.
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It is about a four-mile hike into the lower waterfalls area of Fossil Creek. (FOX 10 Phoenix)
Three people were reportedly standing on a peninsula when they slipped into the water. It is unclear if they knew how to swim.
“They inadvertently got into a position that exceeded their skill level by slipping into the water,” LaBonte said. “The water was a lot deeper than they thought.”
The two men who drowned had just graduated from Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Seen here is a screenshot from the school’s livestreamed spring convocation on May 4, 2024. (ASU Live)
The drownings mark the first two for Fossil Creek of the year. The area is extremely busy during the summer months, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue’s Bill Pitterle told FOX 10 over the phone.
The rise of social media photography has led to increased crowds at Fossil Creek in recent years. The area in the Coconino National Forest requires visitors to pay fees, obtain parking permits for certain lots and make reservations from April 1 to Oct. 1. Camping is allowed during the spring-summer season in permitted areas. The closest town to Fossil Creek is Camp Verde, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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