The body of a man who fell into Avalanche Creek in Glacier National Park, Montana, was discovered just days ago. Park officials announced that the body was discovered on August 3, with the victim having first fallen into the creek on July 6.
According to officials, rangers first discovered the body dressed in clothing similar to those described by friends and family of Siddhant Vitthal Patil, who went missing in early July. The Guardian reports that at the time of Patil’s fall, the waters were moving too quickly for him to be recovered. The tragic accident was announced by the park in a press release on July 10, describing how the tourist fell into the water after slipping during a hike. Patil chose to ignore instructions to remain on the hike trail, instead opting to stand on a large rock above the gorge.
“Patil was hiking above the gorge on Avalanche Lake Trail. He diverted from the trail and while standing on a large rock fell into Avalanche Creek. It is unclear if he slipped on a wet portion of the rock or lost his balance. Friends and witnesses saw him go into the creek, go underwater, and resurface briefly before being swept up by the current and into the gorge,” the July press release explained.
Park officials also described how recovering the body was a complex operation, with the water in the gorge being too deep and turbulent to fully explore. Helicopter aerial searches were conducted, however, and ranges manually searched the area for weeks before the body was discovered.
The body has since been taken to the Flathead County Coroner’s Office where he will be officially identified via DNA matching and dental records.
Sadly, Patil wasn’t the only person who drowned during a July vacation this year. Raju Jha, a 28-year-old tourist originally from Nepal, also drowned in Lake McDonald. An inexperienced swimmer, Jha was discovered under 40ft of water on the same day he went missing.
