Great Smoky Mountains National Park search underway for missing Illinois man

A search operation involving 57 people is underway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to locate Marcin Bachleda-Blaszczak, an Illinois man who has been missing for over a week.

Bachleda-Blaszczak was last seen at the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot on August 22, 2025. His vehicle was subsequently discovered in the same parking area. Search teams, including park rangers, volunteers, and partner agencies, have expanded their efforts to include trails, backcountry terrain, and areas off established paths.

To assist in the search, officials have granted a temporary exception to the park’s usual ban on drones to scan hard-to-reach sections of the terrain. Bachleda-Blaszczak is described as being 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. His family noted that there were no unusual circumstances or warning signs prior to his disappearance.