Family and friends are gathering in Passaic this morning to remember two young friends who were killed during the storms brought about by the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

On the night of Sept. 1, Ayush Rana along with 18-year-old Nidhi Rana were in his red Honda Civic when the floodwaters began to rise – forcing them to abandon the vehicle.

Once the waters receded, the car was left at the intersection of Main Street and Benson Avenue in Passaic, neither person to be found.

The two were missing for over a week. Their bodies were found in the Passaic River in Kearny and Newark and identified on Sept. 10.

They were not related despite their shared last name. Today would have been Ayush’s 22nd birthday.

Ayush was a student at Montclair State University. Nidhi attended Seton Hall. They were both crowned king and queen at last spring’s open prom in Passaic for students who graduated during the pandemic.