Search continues for missing hiker on Grand Canyon South Rim trail

A busy stretch of the Grand Canyon South Rim is now the focus of a missing-person search after 26-year-old Sandarsh Krishna was last seen on the Rim Trail along Hermit Road, between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point. Park officials said his last known movements likely fell between about 4 p.m. on April 27 and midnight into April 28, a window that turned a familiar visitor walk into a search zone.

Grand Canyon dispatch was notified on April 28 that Krishna might be missing, and the National Park Service issued a public request for help on April 29. Officials said there is no known vehicle tied to Krishna, and he may have been traveling by rideshare or taxi, which makes the timing and transportation details especially important to the investigation.

The location matters for anyone planning time on the South Rim. The Rim Trail on Hermit Road is a scenic, mostly paved 7.8-mile walking path, but the stretch between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point includes exposed overlooks and steep drop-offs. Hermit Road is closed to private vehicles and can be reached only by shuttle, foot or bicycle, which means visitors need to keep close track of how they got in and how they will get out.

Krishna was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing athletic clothing. Officials asked anyone who was in the area during the evening of April 27 to review photos and videos, including background images that might show him passing through the corridor. The National Park Service Investigative Services Branch tip line is 888-653-0009.

For current Grand Canyon visitors, the case is a blunt reminder that even short South Rim walks can become serious fast. The park advises hikers in hot conditions to start before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m., and temperatures can fall sharply after dark at canyon elevation. AccuWeather reported a low of 18 degrees on April 28, underscoring how quickly conditions can change once the sun drops.

Grand Canyon National Park, which spans 278 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands and sits on the ancestral homelands of 11 present-day Tribal communities, remains open even as the South Rim operates under water conservation measures tied to pipeline breaks in the inner canyon. Grand Canyon National Park Emergency Services handles EMS, search and rescue, preventive search and rescue, and all-hazard incident management, but on a trail like this, the most useful safety tool is still a precise plan before anyone steps onto the rim.