Family Seeks Help in Search for Missing Arizona State Student at Grand Canyon

The family of a missing Arizona State University student is asking for public help after he disappeared during a trip to the Grand Canyon just days before graduation.

Sandarsh Krishna, 26, was last heard from on April 27, when he told relatives he was heading to Las Vegas with a stop at the South Rim. He was due back for final exams and a job interview but never returned.

"We haven’t had any success in finding him," his sister-in-law, Pooja Shivananjappa, told Fox 10 Phoenix.

The National Park Service placed Krishna’s last known location along the Rim Trail off Hermit Road, between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point, sometime between 4 p.m. on April 27 and 12 a.m. on April 28.

Investigators noted Krishna had no known vehicle and may have used a rideshare or taxi. His cell phone data has not moved since the day he went missing, his family said.

"They’re doing the best they can, but unfortunately we do not have the exact location to see where he went missing," Shivananjappa told the outlet.

Search efforts have intensified across the South Rim, with more than 30 search and rescue personnel deployed over several days. Crews are scanning the rim trail, checking walk-down routes into the canyon, conducting technical rope insertions, flying aerial reconnaissance and operating drones in the rugged terrain, park officials said.

Rangers continue to focus on the area along Hermit Road and nearby rim sections as the search goes on.

Krishna stands 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build, weighs about 160 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing athletic clothing and carrying a black backpack.

That backpack was turned in to hotel staff at Bright Angel Lodge early on April 28. Rangers are working to identify and interview the person who handed it over, saying the individual may hold information to narrow the search. Authorities stressed the person is not a suspect.

Krishna’s family has hired a private investigator as the effort continues. He moved to Arizona from India in 2024 for a master’s degree in computer science at ASU and was scheduled to graduate on May 9, the family told Fox 10 Phoenix. Loved ones call him bright, kind and close to family.

"It’s impossible to not like him," Shivananjappa said. "He has a helping hand… he has the heart of a kid."

Anyone with information about Krishna’s whereabouts between April 27 and April 28 should call the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch tip line at 888-653-0009.