An extensive search is underway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for Marcin Bachleda-Blaszczak, a 57-year-old Illinois man who has been missing for more than a week. A 57-member search and rescue team, comprising park rangers, volunteers, and local agencies, is actively looking for him both on and off the park's trails.
Bachleda-Blaszczak was last known to be at the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot on August 22, 2025. His vehicle was discovered in the same parking lot two days later, prompting his family to report him missing. His cousin, Corrina Auten, stated that conversations with Bachleda-Blaszczak prior to his disappearance gave no indication of any unusual circumstances or distress. He had reportedly discussed picking up a work shift the day after he was last seen.
The search efforts have involved drones, which are temporarily permitted within the park specifically for this operation, to cover a wider area. The search team has grown significantly since it began, expanding from initial ranger searches around Sugarlands to a larger contingent by Sunday. Park officials are utilizing drones to aid in the search in addition to traditional methods.
Bachleda-Blaszczak is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. The National Park Service is asking anyone with information or who may have seen Bachleda-Blaszczak to contact the park dispatch at [email protected].
