A Brooklyn man has been missing since December 30th following a hike in the Tepozteco Mountains in Mexico. Hari Simran Singh Khalsa and his wife Emily Smith had been attending a four-day yoga retreat in a nearby town when Simran decided to go for a short hike. According to CBS, at 2:30 p.m. he texted the above photo to his wife; later, he sent another text indicating he'd walked farther than intended. He hasn't been heard from since.
The experienced hiker had only a liter of water, some trail mix, his phone and a knife with him, reports NBC. "The next day, they sent three search teams. We chartered a helicopter, the federal police came," Smith told reporters. Law enforcement is hoping to use cell phone tower data to pinpoint Simran's location.
Additionally, Smith has started a social media campaign, #FindHariSimran, in the hopes that someone comes across him. "Everyone who knows him, we want to do everything we can, because he's counting on us," a family friend explained. Members of the search party say they have heard what sound like Simran's cries for help but have been unable to reach him due to treacherous terrain.
UPDATE:The AP reports Khalsa's body was "found in one of the narrow gorges or ravines that crisscross the rugged mountains in the colonial town of Tepoztlan, not far from where he was last seen in a picture of himself that he sent by cellphone." There will be an autopsy to determine the cause of death, however his family and friends said in a statement he "appears to have fallen while hiking and sustained a fatal injury to the head."
