An Indian-origin PhD student at the University of California, Santa Barbara has been found dead after he went missing during a solo hiking trip in California’s Big Pine Lakes area, according to reports.
The body of Vikram Mubayi, a doctoral student in UCSB’s Department of Chemical Engineering, was recovered from Inyo National Forest.
Mubayi was last in contact with his family at around 8:30 pm on August 1, when he shared his GPS coordinates while on the trail. After he failed to return as expected or make further contact, his family reported him missing.
A search operation was then launched by Inyo County Search and Rescue along with the California Highway Patrol. His body was found on the evening of August 3.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact cause of death. There has also been no indication of foul play so far, and the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
Mubayi was born and raised in Hong Kong. His family described him in a Reddit post as a fairly experienced hiker.
In a self-written biography for Illini 4000, a student-led non-profit organisation, Mubayi said he loved sports and spending time outdoors. He wrote that his mother introduced him to hiking and tennis at a very young age.
He was also an experienced cyclist.
Before joining UCSB, Mubayi graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.
During his time at UIUC, he worked as an undergraduate research assistant at the Burke Laboratory and also served as a teaching assistant.
At UCSB, Mubayi was involved in research focused on bacteria and biological methods to break down plant waste and plastics, with the goal of developing more sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials.
