A 24-year-old Texas hiker was found dead three days after vanishing in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains. His family believes he drowned after being pulled into powerful hydraulic currents near a waterfall.
Sahil Jilani of Houston disappeared on Oct. 5, the day his mother experienced what relatives described as an “overwhelming feeling that something was terribly wrong.” His family shared news of his death through an online fundraiser.
“It is with heavy hearts and profound sorrow that we share the sudden, heartbreaking loss of our beloved brother, Sahil Jilani, and the hospitalization of our mother after learning she had lost her precious son, our little angel and most beautiful gift,” the fundraiser said.
Sahil Jilani was found dead while hiking in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, his family said. The Texas resident had been missing for several days, according to the National Park Service. (Getty Images; National Parks Service)
Relatives became alarmed after Jilani failed to check in for hours and his location-sharing feature stopped updating in an area without cell service.
“We were advised to be patient, as hikers and campers frequently lose contact in areas without network coverage,” Jilani’s sister, Asma Jilani Bustamante, wrote in the fundraiser. “But as the hours passed, our fear grew, and we continued requesting help. Sahil knew how much his silence and unavailable location would worry us.”
Several trails and backcountry areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been temporarily closed following a rise in black bear sightings. (iStock)
After Jilani had been missing for 72 hours, authorities located his car in a parking lot. His phone, keys and clothing were later found near the falls. The next day, dive teams recovered his body from the water at Abrams Falls.
His family believes he was swept into strong currents and drowned.
A footbridge crosses the creek along the Fighting Creek Nature Trail, which begins at the Sugarland Visitors Center on the Tennessee side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)
“Waterfalls are breathtakingly beautiful, and many visitors naturally want to stand beneath them and feel the pressure of the falling water,” Jilani’s family said. “What many don’t realize is that Abrams Falls drops approximately 25 feet into a deep pool of water where hydraulic currents can pull a person underwater and trap them in recirculating water, making escape extremely difficult, even for experienced swimmers.”
Authorities have not released an official cause of death.
Jilani had recently become an uncle and was “beyond excited” to shower his niece with gifts, teach her mixed martial arts and self-defense, and share his love of fitness, Bustamante said.
National Park Service officials caution that Great Smoky Mountains National Park features narrow roads, blind curves and steep drop-offs. The park also has no lifeguarded swimming areas.
“Swimming and tubing are not recommended,” the NPS said. “Additionally, never try to climb to the top of a waterfall. The rocks are coated with slippery algae, and several hikers have fallen and been seriously injured or killed.”
News Media has contacted the National Park Service for additional comment.
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