Missing Indian American family feared dead |
A tragic break in the search for an Indian American family from Southern California, who went missing seven days ago as they returned home from a spring break vacation in Oregon, occurred April 12, as the Mendocino County Sheriff`s Office announced it had found items believed to belong to the family. An April 12 press statement from the Mendocino County Sheriff`s office lists Sandeep Thottapilly, 41; Soumya Thottapilly, 38; Siddhant Thottapilly, 12; and Saachi Thottapilly, 9, as victims in the search and rescue operation which began April 6. The family was driving a maroon Honda Pilot. The search and rescue operations involved multiple agencies, but were unsuccessful in extricating the vehicle from the rain-soaked Eel River, near Leggett, Calif. A witness told police April 6 that he had seen a vehicle slide over the steep embankment over the river on the afternoon of April 6 .High water levels have thwarted search and rescue operations. But on April 10 and 11, Swift Water Rescue Teams used a technique called "probing,” using a long pole being probed underwater to see if the vehicle or anything metallic could be located.
|
|