Two members of a family of Bangladeshi origin have drowned in a lake in upstate New York.
Two other members of the family are being treated at a local hospital. One is in critical condition while the other is unconscious.
The incident took place on Sunday morning when the victims went from New York City to visit the White Lake in the town of Bethel.
The victims are family members of Ruhul Amin, an advisor for the Barura Upazila Council in the Cumilla district, reports bdnews24.com.
Ruhul’s son-in-law Afrid Haider, 34, and younger son Basir Amin, 18, died after drowning in the water. His younger daughter Nasreen Amin, 21, was rescued and admitted to Garnet Health Medical Center. Afrid's wife Naima lost consciousness after the incident and has also been hospitalised.
Fire officials in Sullivan County, 120 miles from New York City, said their divers rushed to the spot following reports of three people drowning. Three people were rescued in an unconscious state and taken to the hospital, but Afrid and Basir could not be saved.
"Afrid had rented a house by the lake. He and his wife Naima, along with other members of the family, went to the house on Aug 27. After having breakfast on Sunday morning, three of them went down to the lake. Bashir drowned in the deep water after two hours,” said Badrul Haque Azad, secretary of the Barura Upazila Council.
Naima lost consciousness following the incident, said Badrul.
An eyewitness reported the incident to the police. They said a man (Basir) began to struggle in the water, and another (Afrid) went to try and rescue him. When the second man started to drown, their companion (Nasreen) dived into the water to try and rescue both of them.
Locals said the water near the surface of the lake is a little warm, but grows very cold deeper down. Sudden exposure to the cold water paralyses the body, making it difficult to return to the shore. The victims may not have known this about the lake, they said.
Badrul said Basir and Afrid's funeral prayers will be held at the Jamaica Muslim Center in New York on Tuesday afternoon. They will be buried at the Washington Memorial Park Cemetery in Long Island.
