Body Recovered Nearly a Month After Tourist Was Swept Away in Avalanche Creek at Glacier National Park
Officials believe the body is that of 26-year-old Siddhant Vitthal Patil, who reportedly fell into the creek on July 6
Glacier National Park officials believe they have found the body of a man who fell into Avalanche Creek on July 6.
As reported by The Guardian, a visitor to the Montana park spotted a body in the creek on Saturday, Aug. 3. Rangers recovered the body, along with gear and clothing similar to what was described by 26-year-old Siddhant Vitthal Patil's friends and family after he fell into the creek on Saturday, July 6.
At the time that Patil fell in, the creek was moving too swiftly to recover his body. According to a July 10 press release from the park, the 26-year-old tourist "was hiking above the gorge on Avalanche Lake Trail" when he left the trail and "while standing on a large rock fell into Avalanche Creek."
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"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 release continued.
Patil, who was originally from India, was visiting from California where he lived and worked.
Per the outlet, the body has been taken to Flathead County Coroner’s Office to be identified via dental records or DNA.
Related: Boy, 11, Dies After Drowning in Lake Erie: ‘Going to Be Hard for the Longest Time’
The 26-year-old was one of two men who drowned in the park over the July 4 weekend. Raju Jha was swimming in Lake McDonald near Sprague Creek Campground on July 6 when he went under the water. His body was recovered later that day in 35 to 40 ft of water, according to authorities.
Jha's friends told the rangers that he was not a "strong swimmer."
PEOPLE reached out to Glacier National Park for comment on the two incidents, but they did not immediately respond.
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