A man who police say drowned in Lake Tahoe on Saturday was a citizen of India and worked in Roseville, Calif., for Tata Consultancy Services, South Lake Tahoe Police said Tuesday. Prateep Korsapati, 24, could not swim, relatives told police.
A friend tried to rescue Korsapati, but saw him drown, said Sgt. Cameron Carmichael.
A life vest was found in the water during a four-hour search for Korsapati's body on Saturday.
Since only six life vests remained on the rental boat - usually seven are provided - authorities believe Korsapati was wearing the life vest they found.
"He was reported to have had one on when he went in the water," Carmichael said. "How he had it secured, we are not certain."
Swimmers should not only be sure to wear life jackets when on water, they should also know how to correctly put them on, he said.
Three men took a rental boat out on Saturday, according to authorities. Korsapati was riding an inflatable inner tube tugged by the boat, while one of his friends drove the boat and another looked for a video camera.
That's when the friend with the camera noticed Korsapati had fallen off the inner tube and was struggling in the water. The friend dove in without a life vest in an attempt to rescue Korsapati. When he reached him, Korsapati was already unconscious. The friend held onto Korsapati, waiting for the other man who was having trouble steering the boat.
The friend lost his strength and had to let go of Korsapati, who disappeared below the surface of the water, Carmichael said.
A 911 call was made, but by the time the U.S. Coast Guard arrived, Korsapati was gone.
Police will file Korsapati as a missing person case, so authorities will be able to identify the body if it appears.
The three men worked together at Tata Consultancy, Carmichael said, and the two friends also appeared to be from India.
Tata Consultancy is a global technology services company based in India. The firm employs 10,000 people in 50 offices in the United States, according to company spokesman Michael McCabe.
