Houston Man, 24, Dies in Fall at Great Smoky Mountains Waterfall

A 24-year-old Houston man has died after going missing for three days in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with his family saying they believe he drowned after being caught in powerful currents near Abrams Falls.

Sahil Jilani disappeared on Oct. 5. His family announced his death through an online fundraiser, writing that they shared “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.”

Jilani’s sister, Asma Jilani Bustamante, who organized the fundraiser, said the family initially stayed calm when he stopped checking in, since the area lacks cell service. “We were advised to be patient, as hikers and campers frequently lose contact in areas without network coverage,” she wrote. “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.”

After Jilani had been missing for 72 hours, searchers found his car in a parking lot, and later recovered his phone, keys and clothes near the falls. The next day, dive teams recovered his body from the water at Abrams Falls.

The family believes Jilani drowned after getting trapped in a hydraulic current, a common hazard at waterfalls that can trap even strong swimmers in recirculating water.

“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 released.

Bustamante said 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.”

The National Park Service warns that the Smoky Mountains have narrow roads, blind curves and steep drop-offs, and that the park has no lifeguarded swimming areas. “Swimming and tubing are not recommended,” the NPS said. “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.”