A 24-year-old Houston man who vanished during a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been found dead in the water near Abrams Falls, his family has confirmed. Sahil Jilani was last seen at Riverstone Campground in Townsend around 8 p.m. on Oct. 5, and after a days-long search, divers recovered his body from the pool beneath the falls on Oct. 8.
According to wvlt.tv, search teams located Jilani's car at the Abrams Falls trailhead on Oct. 7, two days after he was last seen. The next day, divers found his body in the water, and his phone, keys and clothes were later recovered near the falls. His sister, Asma Jilani Bustamante, confirmed his death in a social media post, writing that the search had ended and that he had passed away, per the Geo News report on the family's statement.
Jilani's family believes he drowned after becoming caught in powerful currents near the waterfall, though the same wvlt.tv account notes that official reports are still pending. Bustamante said the family had requested a welfare check from park rangers the day after Jilani went missing, as concern grew over his whereabouts.
A Trail With a Dangerous History
The hike to Abrams Falls is a five-mile round trip winding through rhododendron, hemlock and pine-oak forest, ending at a 25-foot waterfall that spills over a sandstone ledge into a deep pool, according to the Charlotte Observer. The scenic spot draws crowds year-round, but it has also proven deadly before. In 2016, a 59-year-old Georgia man named Jitendra Patel drowned near the same falls after slipping into the water while taking photos near its base, as reported by citizen-times.com. His body was recovered about eight hours later, and park officials said at the time that 22 drownings had occurred parkwide over the previous 20 years, five of them at Abrams Falls alone.
The park's popularity has only grown since then. Great Smoky Mountains National Park recorded more than 11.5 million visitors in 2025, making it the nation's busiest national park, the Charlotte Observer reported. That volume of foot traffic, combined with the falls' slick rocks and unpredictable currents, has kept the site on the radar of park safety officials for years.
Family Asks Public for Help, Urges Caution
Bustamante urged others visiting waterfalls to take precautions that her brother's family believes could save lives. “Please heed warning signs, especially where lives have been lost. Share travel plans, prepare for cellular dead zones and consider carrying a satellite communication device in remote areas,” she said, according to wfsb.com.
The Jilani and Bustamante family is also asking for the public's help covering medical, transportation, funeral and other expenses tied to the loss, the station's report noted. The family said they also need assistance with care for Jilani's mother, who is currently hospitalized. No further details on the fundraising effort were included in the family's statement.
Park authorities had reported Jilani missing since 8 p.m. on Oct. 5, matching the time his family says he was last seen at the campground in Townsend. As of the family's latest statement, official findings on the exact cause of death had not yet been released.
