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A Texas hiker has been found dead three days after going missing in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, with his family believing he drowned after becoming caught in powerful hydraulic currents near a waterfall.
Sahil Jilani, a 24-year-old resident of Houston, died after disappearing on Oct. 5 — the same day that left his mother with an “overwhelming feeling that something was terribly wrong.” His family announced the tragedy 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 stated.
BODY OF MISSING HIKER FOUND IN OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK THANKS TO CRUCIAL CLUE
Sahil Jilani was found dead while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, his family said. Jilani, a Texas resident, went missing last week, the National Parks Service said. (Getty Images; National Parks Service)
Loved ones grew concerned when Jilani failed to check in for several hours and his location-sharing stopped in an area with no cell service.
“We were advised to be patient, as hikers and campers frequently lose contact in areas without network coverage,” wrote Jilani’s sister Asma Jilani Bustamante who organized 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.”
NPS INVESTIGATES AFTER 23-YEAR-OLD REPORTEDLY SWEPT OVER NOTORIOUS YOSEMITE WATERFALL
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has temporarily closed several trails and backcountry areas after a surge in black bear sightings. (iStock)
After he had been missing for 72 hours, Jilani’s car was discovered in a parking lot, with his phone, keys and clothes later recovered near the falls. The following day, dive teams pulled his body from the waters at Abrams Falls.
Family members believe Jilani drowned after becoming trapped in powerful water currents.
TOURISTS CLING TO EACH OTHER IN DESPERATE STRUGGLE AS RAGING FLOOD SWEEPS THEM DOWN WATERFALL
Foot bridge across the creek along the Fighting Creek Nature Trail originating at the Sugarland Visitors Center on the Tennessee side of the 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,” the 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.”
An official cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
MULTIPLE HIKERS DEAD AMID SCORCHING GRAND CANYON TEMPERATURES
Jilani had recently become an uncle and was “beyond excited to spoil his little niece with gifts and teach her mixed martial arts and self-defense, sharing his passion for fitness,” Bustamante said.
National Park Service (NPS) officials warn that the Smoky Mountains contain narrow roads, blind curves, and steep drop-offs. Additionally, the park does not feature any lifeguarded swimming areas.
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“Swimming and tubing are not recommended,” the NPS stated. “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.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the National Park Service for further comment.