Sameer Siraj Patel, 19, was reported missing in Ontario after being last seen on Monday, June 8, 2020, near the Niagara Glen and the Niagara River Parkway in Niagara Falls. An international student from India studying Health Sciences at Brock University in St. Catharines, he had been with friends that day and was reportedly taking photographs when he is believed to have slipped on a rock and fallen into the fast-moving Niagara River.

A large, multi-agency search followed. The Niagara Regional Police Marine Unit, Niagara Parks Police High Angle River Team, Niagara Falls Fire Department, the Canadian Coast Guard, aerial units including Erie County Sheriff’s Office Air One and a Canadian Forces Base Trenton helicopter, plus Niagara Helicopters, all took part in efforts to locate him. Community members in St. Catharines supported detectives and contacted his family in India and the United Kingdom.

The powerful currents hampered search operations, and the incident was ultimately ruled an accidental death. Does anyone who was at the Niagara Glen on June 8, 2020, or who knew Sameer at Brock University have information to add?