Missing American found dead in Mexican mountains

Surae Chinn | WUSA, Washington D.C.

Show Caption Hide Caption Missing American found dead in Mexican mountains Hari Simran Khalsa, a 25-year-old yoga instructor from Northern Virginia, was on a spiritual retreat when he disappeared in the mountains of Tepoztlan, Mexico. His body was found four days later.

STERLING, Va. — Community members are mourning the loss of a Northern Virginia yoga instructor found dead in Mexico.

Search teams in Tepoztlan, Mexico, south of Mexico City, found 25-year-old Hari Simran Singh Khalsa's body Friday afternoon after a four-day search in tough, mountainous terrain.

The yoga instructor and his wife had taken their yoga students on a spiritual yoga retreat to Mexico. He went on what was supposed to be a short hike.

Khalsa had texted his wife a picture of him on the summit of a mountain and captioned it "looking down on you!" on Tuesday. His last text to a friend indicated he was lost.

Khalsa appears to have fallen while hiking and sustained a fatal injury to the head, a statement from the family said.

"This journey has been a testament to the enormous amount of love and goodness he shared with us all during his time on earth," the statement said.

Khalsa and his wife, Emily Smith — who goes by her Sikh name Ad Purkh Kaur — were married a year and a half ago at the Raj Khalsa Gurdwara Sikh center in Sterling, Va. The yoga studio above the Sikh center was run by the couple. The couple planned to move to New York from Leesburg, Va.

One Sikh at the center said before the couple had taken over as yoga instructors three or four people attended classes; afterward, 25 people regularly attend.

"He had a kind heart, he was somebody that just had an amazing spirit, so I can tell you that he's someone that I will always try to emulate, but I'm not sure I'll ever achieve," Prabhjit Singh, Khalsa's best friend, said.

A vigil was held Friday for Khalsa outside the yoga studio where he taught. Community members gathered with heavy hearts sharing prayers and memories.

"We have very heavy hearts, we really loved this young man, this 25-year-old who was born into our community. His parents are Westerners who embraced Sikhism," Genesha Khalsa, a friend of the family said.

"We believe that each human is allotted so many breaths, and he's a young man who did such beautiful work, perhaps he finished his job sooner than the rest of us. We'll miss him greatly but we believe the soul lives forever."