Meet our team

Arunay Pruthi was swept away into the Pacific Ocean while trying to save his younger brother, father and mother. Sharmistha and Tarun, Arunay’s mother and father later learned that unknowingly their 12 year old son became a victim of sneaker waves, never to be returned ashore. 

Pruthis and their friends, who have been living in the Bay Area for decades, discovered in the course of a two-month-long search for Arunay, that sneaker waves are prevalent in Northern California Beaches. Over the years, many families have lost their loved ones to sneaker waves and rip currents and yet nothing has been done to create awareness about these dangerous phenomena.

Arunay lost his life at one of the state beaches on the Half Moon Bay coast. Fearing that more beachgoers will be caught unaware by sneaker waves and dangerous rip currents, Sharmistha and Tarun rose beyond their sorrow and pain, and sprung into action. 

Sharmistha and Tarun, together with their close friends, created Arunay Foundation in memory of their son to raise money for installing safety rings at beaches and to generate awareness among beachgoers. 

  • Sharmistha Chakraborty

    FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    “Never again should anyone lose their loved one to the sea”

  • Kalyan Gummadam

    TREASURER

    “It was a joy to watch Arunay and our kids grow up together. But Arunay’s young and promising life was abruptly cut short. Now, we will never know what he could have become. A mishap like this can be avoided with proper beach signage and information. Our goal is to make that happen. If we can save even one life through this effort, it would be an accomplishment.”

  • Vikram Saxena

    SECRETARY

    “Arunay’s story resonated with every parent around the world. We witnessed how the community came together to help Arunay’s family and us in every possible way. Now it’s our turn to give back to the community and make sure that going to the beach is always a safe and pleasurable experience for every family.”

  • Tarun Pruthi

    DIRECTOR

    Arunay’s Dad

  • Eric Jones

    DIRECTOR

    “What became readily apparent during the search is that more needs to be done to prevent these drownings which result from sneaker waves catching people off guard and pulling them out to sea. Our beautiful California coastline presents some unique dangers such as sneaker waves, and education and raising awareness of these unique dangers is paramount in reducing these preventable drownings.”

  • Sanjeev Kulkarni

    DIRECTOR

    “Very often we see untrained beachgoers jumping to save people in danger. I was the last one to hold Arunay’s hand before we got separated by a strong sneaker wave. If the beach had equipment, a buoy or a rope to throw at him, he would have been here with us today. At Arunay Foundation we want to take steps, small and big, to equip every beach and pier with safety tools. “