Sahil Jilani was found dead while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, his family said.
A 24-year-old man from Houston, Texas, was found dead in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park after going missing during a hiking trip, with his family believing he drowned after being caught in powerful currents near a waterfall. Sahil Jilani was last seen on October 5 at Riverstone Campground in Townsend, Tennessee, according to the National Park Service. Authorities found his car at the Abrams Falls trailhead on October 7. Dive teams recovered his body from the water on October 8, according to his family. The waterfall drops approximately 25 feet into a deep pool, where recirculating currents can make it extremely difficult for a person to escape.
The National Park Service had not publicly confirmed the circumstances of his death in its latest reported response.
His sister, Asma Jilani Bustamante, said the family had sought help after their mother developed an overwhelming feeling that something was wrong. The family has said the official cause of death has not yet been disclosed. His family grew concerned after he stopped checking in and his location-sharing service became unavailable in an area with poor cellphone coverage. His phone, keys and clothes were recovered near the waterfall. Jilani’s family believes he drowned after becoming trapped in powerful underwater currents in the plunge pool beneath Abrams Falls. Bustamante also shared the devastating impact of the loss on their family, including their mother’s hospitalisation after learning of her son’s death.