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The family of a missing Arizona State student is pleading for help after he disappeared on a trip to the Grand Canyon just days before graduation.
Sandarsh Krishna, 26, was last heard from on April 27, when he told relatives that he was going to Las Vegas to stop at the South Rim. He was expected to return during the final exams and job interview, but he never did.
“We’ve never had any success finding him,” his sister-in-law, Pooja Shivananjappa, told Fox 10 Phoenix.
According to the National Park Service, Krishna’s last known location was on the Rim Trail off Hermit Road, between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point, between 4:00 p.m. on April 27 and 12:00 a.m. on April 28.
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Sandarsh Krishna, 26, a student at Arizona State University, was reported missing after visiting the Grand Canyon. He was last heard from on April 27. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Investigators said Krishna, who did not have a known vehicle, may have been using a rideshare or taxi. Her mobile phone details have not changed since the day she disappeared, according to her family.
“They are doing their best, but unfortunately we don’t have an exact location to see where he has gone,” Shivanjappa told the media.
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Search and rescue teams are using ground crews, wire operations and air support to search for missing ASU student Sandarsh Krishna. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Search efforts have been ramped up across the South Rim, with more than 30 search and rescue personnel deployed over several days.
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Search crews continue to comb the remote and dangerous areas of the canyon as the investigation into Krishna’s disappearance continues. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Crews also used a number of methods in the rugged terrain, including trail scanning, canyoneering, technical wiring, aerial inspection flights and drone operations, park officials said.
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Crews are installing technical cables and aerial checks as part of the ongoing search in the Grand Canyon. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Patrols continue to focus on the area on Hermit Road and around the rim as the search continues.
Officials say Krishna was last seen wearing athletic clothing and is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build, weighing 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
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Sandarsh Krishna, an ASU graduate student, was last heard from on April 27 on a trip to the Grand Canyon. His family says he is days away from graduation. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Investigators also said Krishna is believed to have been carrying a black backpack before he disappeared. That backpack was later handed over to hotel staff at Bright Angel Lodge early on April 28.
Guards are now working to identify and speak with the person who returned the backpack, saying the person may have information that could help narrow down the search area. Authorities have stressed that the man is not being treated as a suspect.
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Authorities want to identify the person, who returned the backpack believed to belong to Sandarsh Krishna. Officials say the man is not a suspect but may have information relevant to the investigation. (Grand Canyon National Park)
His family says they have hired a private investigator as the investigation continues.
Krishna moved to Arizona from India in 2024 to pursue a master’s degree in computer science at ASU and was set to graduate on May 9, family told Fox 10 Phoenix. Loved ones describe him as bright, kind and deeply connected to his family.
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“It’s impossible not to like him,” said Shivananjappa. “You have a helping hand… you have the heart of a child.”
Anyone who may have seen Krishna or has information on his whereabouts between April 27 and April 28 is urged to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch tip line at 888-653-0009.
