Washington: A young man from Pune, Siddhant Vittal Patil, has been missing since July 6 after drowning in Avalanche Creek at Glacier National Park in Montana, as confirmed by park officials.
Siddhant, a tech professional residing in California, was hiking with seven friends when he fell into the creek on Saturday morning. He reportedly slipped or lost his balance on a large rock, briefly resurfaced, and was then swept away by the current into the gorge.
Witnesses to the incident, including Siddhant’s uncle, Pritesh Chaudhari, recounted that Siddhant had diverted from the trail and was standing on a large rock when he fell. Despite aerial searches by ALERT helicopters and efforts by over 10 rangers, Siddhant remains unlocated. Some personal items have been recovered downstream, but the strong currents in Avalanche Creek have hindered further search efforts.
The park officials noted that the water levels are currently too high for rangers to safely enter the gorge. It may take weeks or months for conditions to improve enough to resume the search. On July 10, rangers deployed a drone over Avalanche Creek to locate Siddhant, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
Siddhant’s family is distraught, with his maternal uncle expressing frustration over the perceived lack of effort by authorities and appealing for the engagement of private rangers. Prem Bhandari, a prominent figure in the Indian diaspora, is working to reach out to authorities to assist the family during this difficult time.