NPS - National Park Service
08/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/29/2026 11:21
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Continues Search for Marcin Bachleda‑Blaszczak
News Release Date: August 29, 2026
Contact:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with assistance from local agencies, continues to search for Marcin Bachleda-Blaszczak, who was reported missing on the evening of Aug. 24.
Bachleda-Blaszczak is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and approximately 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He is from Illinois.
Following the missing person report, Bachleda-Blaszczak's vehicle was located in the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot. Based on the investigation to date, his last known location was the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot on Aug. 22.
A team of 47 park rangers and volunteers is actively searching areas in and around the park, with additional resources en route to assist. As the search area expands, visitors may encounter search personnel wearing brightly colored shirts both on and off established trails.
Anyone with information about Bachleda-Blaszczak's whereabouts, or who may have seen him in or around the park, is asked to contact [email protected].
NPS - National Park Service published this content on August 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 29, 2026 at 17:21 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]