Who was Siddhant Vitthal Patil? Body of drowned Indian techie recovered in US national park after month-long search

The body of a 26-year-old Indian IT professional who drowned in the famous Glacier National Park in the US state of Montana last month has been recovered by park rangers, media reports said on Sunday.

Siddhant Vitthal Patil drowned while hiking above a gorge on July 6 on Avalanche Lake Trail after falling off a large rock into Avalanche Creek.

According to park officials, visitors reported seeing a body around 10:30 am on Saturday morning, following which rangers removed the body, NBC Montana reported.

“After weeks of searching, rangers at Glacier National Park believe they have recovered the body of 26-year-old Siddhant from India today. Siddhant fell into Avalanche Creek on July 6, 2024, and drowned,” Glacier National Park officials said in a statement.

Clothing and gear similar to what Patil was wearing at the time of the incident were also recovered, Park officials said..

The Flathead County coroner is working to confirm identity through DNA or dental records, they added.

Rangers suspected the body was being held underwater by submerged obstacles such as fallen trees or rocks.

According to the report, the rangers were limited in their ability to search the gorge for weeks due to water depth and whitewater conditions.

As the water level dropped, they were able to probe larger portions of the gorge but were unable to reach the deepest and most dangerous areas.

Friends who were with him at the time of the incident saw Patil go underwater and resurface before being swept up by the current into the gorge.

Hailing from Maharashtra, Patil was living and working in California and on vacation with friends at the time of the incident.

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