NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, May 12, 2026— A 26-year-old Arizona State University graduate student who had been missing for nearly two weeks after disappearing during a visit to the Grand Canyon National Park has been found dead, park officials confirmed.
Sandarsh Krishna, a master’s student in computer science at Arizona State University, was reported missing on April 28 after he was last seen along the Rim Trail near Hermit Road on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. According to the National Park Service, search crews located his body on May 9 below the rim near Verkamp’s Visitor Center. Officials have not yet released his cause of death. The case remains under investigation by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
During the search, investigators released details that Krishna had last been seen sometime between the afternoon of April 27 and the early hours of April 28 in the area between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point. He was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes, and was wearing athletic clothing at the time of his disappearance.
In a development that drew public attention during the search, park officials said Krishna’s backpack had been turned in at Bright Angel Lodge by an unidentified person. Authorities said they wanted to speak with that individual as a possible witness, stressing that the person was not considered a suspect.
Local media identified Krishna as an Arizona State University graduate student who was expected to complete his master’s degree this week. Reports indicated he had traveled to the Grand Canyon shortly before final exams and had told friends he planned to visit Las Vegas before returning to Tempe. Some media reports, citing family members, said Krishna had moved from India to the United States in 2024 to pursue graduate studies.
The National Park Service has not released additional details pending notification of family members and completion of the medical examiner’s investigation.
