Sahil Jilani, a 24-year-old from Houston, was last seen at Riverstone Campground in Townsend around 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, according to park officials cited by WVLT.

His car was found at the Abrams Falls trailhead on Oct. 7, and his phone, keys and clothes were later recovered near the falls.

Dive teams pulled his body from the water at Abrams Falls on Oct. 8, his family confirmed.

The family believes he drowned after becoming caught in powerful hydraulic currents near the waterfall, though official reports remain pending.

Jilani's sister, Asma Jilani Bustamante, told WVLT that their mother felt something was 'terribly wrong' when he went hours without checking in and his location sharing stopped in a cellular dead zone.

The family requested a welfare check from rangers the next day but were told hikers often lose service, and kept requesting help as their fear grew, she said.

After roughly 72 hours, searchers located his car at the Abrams Falls parking lot, and divers recovered his body the following day, per the family's account to WVLT.

The family explained in their fundraiser, as reported by Fox News, that Abrams Falls drops approximately 25 feet into a deep pool where hydraulic currents can pull a person underwater and trap them in recirculating water, making escape extremely difficult even for experienced swimmers.

According to the New York Post, ten people died in Great Smoky Mountains National Park last year, and officials warn the park has no lifeguarded swimming areas and advises against climbing waterfalls because slippery algae has caused serious injuries and deaths.

Despite the heartbreak, the family's public message is one of determination to protect others. Bustamante told WVLT, 'If his story saves even one life, his memory will continue to protect others.'

She urged hikers to share travel plans, prepare for cellular dead zones and consider carrying a satellite communication device in remote areas.

The Jilani and Bustamante family is asking the public for help through donations, prayer and sharing their story, WVLT reports.

Their fundraiser, described by Fox News, notes their mother has been hospitalized after learning of her son's death, and the family hopes contributions will cover her uncovered medical expenses, grief counseling, bringing Sahil home to Houston, funeral costs not covered by insurance, and their goal of raising water safety awareness in his memory.

The New York Post described Sahil as a 'pure, kind, generous soul' who hoped to help his mom retire and his dad with dental procedures.

An official cause of death has not yet been disclosed, and the family awaits formal reports while planning his return to Houston, according to Fox News.

What stands out in the coverage is how the family has chosen to respond: rather than closing in on grief, they are speaking publicly about waterfall hazards, satellite communicators and trip planning, hoping Sahil's story becomes a warning that protects other families.

As Bustamante put it to WVLT, honoring Sahil by helping save lives means his memory will continue to protect others — a mission already resonating as search-volume interest in the Abrams Falls case surged this week.