The body recovered over the weekend at Grand Canyon National Park has been identified as missing Arizona State University graduate student Sandarsh Krishna, according to authorities.
National Park Service officials said park personnel located Krishna’s body roughly 250 feet below the South Rim near Verkamp’s Visitor Center on Saturday. The discovery came the same day the 26-year-old was scheduled to graduate from ASU with a master’s degree in computer science.
The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the identification after the body was transported for examination.
Krishna had been reported missing on April 28 after he failed to return from a planned visit to the canyon and missed his university final exams. Family members said he intended to hike in the Grand Canyon before traveling to Las Vegas to celebrate completing his degree.
In the days following his disappearance, relatives publicly appealed for help locating him, describing him as academically gifted and deeply compassionate. During a news conference held while search efforts were underway, his sister-in-law said Krishna excelled in mathematics and chess and also held a black belt in karate.
Search operations grew into a large-scale effort involving more than 50 people. Rescue crews deployed helicopters, thermal-imaging drones and teams capable of descending hundreds of feet into the canyon terrain. Investigators also used cell tower data, which indicated Krishna’s phone was last detected somewhere between Mojave Point and Pima Point along a four-mile section of the South Rim.
Officials with the National Park Service said the circumstances surrounding Krishna’s death remain under investigation alongside the medical examiner’s office.
