Indian-origin PhD student missing for two days found dead after solo hiking trip in California

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 7, 2026: An Indian-origin PhD student at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has been found dead after going missing during a solo hiking trip in California’s eastern Sierra Nevada.

Vikram Mubayi, a chemical engineering doctoral candidate at UC Santa Barbara’s Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering, went on a solo hike in the Big Pine Lakes area over the weekend. He last contacted his family at around 8.30 pm on Saturday, August 1, sharing his GPS coordinates while on the trail.

When he failed to return or make further contact, his family reported him missing, prompting a search by local authorities and search-and-rescue teams.

Body found after search

Authorities later found Mubayi’s body in the Big Pine Lakes area. Investigators have not said how he entered the water, and there is no sign of foul play. The exact circumstances of his death remain under investigation.
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Before his body was found, his family appealed for help on Reddit, where a user claiming to be his brother shared details of his planned hiking route and asked anyone who had been in the area on August 1 or 2 to come forward with any information.

The post said Mubayi, described as an experienced hiker, had last sent his location from the trail at around 8.37 pm. His car was also found at the trailhead.

“He’s a fairly experienced hiker and we think that he reached a reasonably easy part of the route, so would have expected him back by now. His car is still at the trailhead," the post read.

Family thanks volunteers

In a later update on the same Reddit thread, the user thanked people who had offered support and joined the search efforts.

“Unfortunately SAR confirmed that my brother did not make it," the post said.

According to student publication Daily Nexus, Mubayi was born and raised in Hong Kong. Before joining UCSB, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2022.

A self-written biography on the website of Illini 4000, a student-led non-profit organisation he was involved with, said he enjoyed sports and loved “being outdoors".

Authorities have not released any further details about the incident, and the investigation is continuing.