Pune: Body Of Indian Techie Siddhant Vitthal Patil Recovered At Glacier National Park
Pune: Body Of Indian Techie Siddhant Vitthal Patil Recovered At Glacier National Park
After weeks of intensive searching, rangers at Glacier National Park have recovered the body of 26-year-old Siddhant Vitthal Patil, an Indian tech professional who drowned after falling into Avalanche Creek on July 6. At the time of the incident, Patil, who was living and working in California, was hiking with seven friends on the Avalanche Lake Trail. He ventured off the path and stood on a large rock above a gorge, from where he accidentally fell into the creek. Despite briefly resurfacing, he was swept away by the current into the gorge.
Patil lived in Pune’s Pimple Nilakh area and originally hailed from North Maharashtra.
“After weeks of searching, rangers at Glacier National Park believe they have recovered the body of 26 year old Siddhant Vitthal Patil from India today after he fell into Avalanche Creek on July 6, 2024, and drowned,” said park officials in a statement. They further noted that clothing and gear consistent with what Patil was wearing were also found. A park visitor reported seeing a body in Avalanche Creek below the gorge around 10:30 am, prompting immediate recovery efforts. The Flathead County coroner is working to confirm the identity through DNA or dental records.
Park officials recounted that Patil was hiking with friends when he diverted from the trail and fell into the creek from a large rock. It remains unclear whether he slipped or lost his balance. Witnesses saw him fall, briefly resurface, and then be swept away by the current into the gorge.
The search for Patil was complicated by submerged obstacles like fallen trees and rocks, which hindered the rangers’ ability to search the gorge due to water depth and whitewater conditions during the spring and summer runoff. As the water level dropped, rangers used long poles and drones to search the area. The Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake Trail were temporarily closed during the recovery efforts but reopened later that afternoon.
Park officials extended their condolences to Patil’s family and friends, hoping that recovering his body would bring closure. Patil’s uncle, Pritesh Chaudhari, expressed gratitude to the rangers and Indian American community leader Prem Bhandari for their support during the search. Chaudhari stated, “We were informed by the US ranger officials that Siddhant’s body was found. As we grapple with this grief, we also like to thank the rangers for carrying out this search. A special mention to Prem Bhandari who has been in constant touch with us for the last 27 days and supporting us. We have authorized Bhandari to arrange for Siddhant’s remains to be sent to Pune and complete the formalities.”
Prem Bhandari, who has been assisting with the repatriation of Patil’s remains to India, mentioned that park officials conveyed their condolences and hoped that the recovery would help bring closure to Patil’s loved ones. The next step is to repatriate his remains to his grieving family. In a statement, Bhandari said, “When I spoke to the park officials, they offered condolences to the family and hoped that recovering the body would help bring closure to loved ones. The next step is to repatriate the mortal remains to the family.”
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also expressed his condolences regarding Siddhant’s death. He wrote in a post on X, “Deeply saddened to hear about the tragic loss of Siddhant Vitthal Patil, a young tech professional. Siddhant went missing while hiking at Avalanche Creek in California. Despite our relentless efforts with the respective MEA authorities to understand the situation and expedite the search, we lost him. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May God give them strength to live through such tough times. ॐ शांति.”
