Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis late on Sunday expressed his condolences after rangers at Glacier National Park in the United States recovered the body of Siddhant Vitthal Patil, a 26-year-old from Pune, who fell into Avalanche Creek on July 6 and drowned.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Fadnavis wrote, "Deeply saddened to hear about the tragic loss of Siddhant Vitthal Patil, a young tech professional. Siddhant went missing while hiking at Avalanche Creek in California. Despite our relentless efforts with the respective MEA authorities to understand the situation and expedite the search, we lost him."
He added, "My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May God give them strength to live through such tough times."
Patil, a tech professional living in California, was hiking at the park with seven friends when he fell into Avalanche Creek.
In a statement, Glacier National Park officials said, "After weeks of searching, rangers believe they have recovered the body of Siddhant Vitthal Patil from India after he fell into Avalanche Creek on July 6 and drowned."
The officials added, "Clothing and gear similar to what, according to friends, Patil was wearing at the time of the incident were also recovered. Around 10:30 am, a park visitor reported seeing a body in Avalanche Creek below the gorge. Rangers immediately began recovery efforts. Flathead County coroner is working to confirm identity through DNA or dental records."
The park officials extended their condolences to Patil's family and friends and expressed hope that recovering the body would help bring closure to his loved ones.
(With ANI inputs)
