A software engineer from Piridi village in Bobbili mandal of Vizianagaram district died while swimming in the Meramec River in Missouri, US, on Saturday.
The victim, Singireddy Sai Krishna, had gone to the riverside along with five friends to celebrate his birthday.
While swimming, he was caught in a whirlpool and drowned. His friends tried to rescue him but were unsuccessful. Fire service personnel later recovered the body.
Sai Krishna had recently moved to the United States after completing his engineering to take up a job. He was living in St. Louis, close to the Meramec River.
According to villagers, Sai Krishna had promised his parents that he would earn well and help build a house for the family.
His father, S. Srinivasa Rao, works as an autorickshaw driver, while his mother, Rama Devi, is employed at a local Primary Health Centre.
Sai Krishna was the youngest of three children, with two elder sisters who are married. News of his death has left his parents, family members, and the entire village in deep shock.
Villagers have approached R. V. S. K. K. Ranga Rao, requesting his assistance in bringing the body back from Missouri.