Washington: The family of Siddhant Vitthal Patil, who went missing in the US after he took a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana, has urged the Indian government to help them get more details on his whereabouts. Patil, who was working in San Jose, had taken a trip to Glacier Park when he was reported missing.
Patil's maternal uncle, Pritesh Chaudhari, in Pune, says that he had sent Siddhant's last location update to the Indian Consulate in Seattle, but they said that he is 'presumed to be dead'. The maternal uncle says he has provided all the information to the embassy.
"Siddhant's parents are in shock. I am coordinating with the Indian embassy in Seattle. I shared his last location updates from his Apple watch and mobile phone with the embassy and talked to his friend," he said.
Chaudhari said he requested the embassy for a thorough investigation into the case but is still waiting to receive a response.
"I feel helpless on seeing the mail that states Siddhant is presumed to be dead. I got to know an NGO worker, and he is helping me as much as possible," he said.
Chaudhari urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the matter with the US government. He added that they still hope that Siddhant is alive.
"Apple has sent all the text messages to Siddhant's phone, but they are encrypted. We requested the embassy to try and get it decoded but to no avail."
Siddhant's employers at Cadence Design Systems in San Jose are also urging the US Congress representative to follow up on the matter, but the Indian Consulate can only initiate action.
Chaudhari added that the Indian embassy said it could not do anything as of now because the water level is very high, and it is scanning the area with drones. They said the water receding may take weeks or months.
In its last update on July 8, the Indian Consulate in Seattle said "Consulate is in touch with the office of Governor of Montana on this matter and following up regularly. While a search operation was conducted yesterday, another round of search and rescue is again underway today by the National Park Rangers. The Consulate is keeping the friends and family of Siddhant V Patil updated on this matter."
According to reports, Siddhant had gone to Avalanche Creek with his friends. He probably slipped after losing his balance on a large rock. He went underwater, briefly resurfaced, and then was swept up by the current and into the gorge.
