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Search Continues for Missing NU Student

Divers suspend search of Wilmette Harbor for the night, but police continue looking for Harsha Maddula

Northwestern University Police and other law enforcement agencies expanded their search Wednesday afternoon for a missing Northwestern student, Harsha Maddula, to the area around Wilmette Harbor and other areas of the harbor and Lake Michigan, a release from the University says.

The search earlier Wednesday by police and fire departments and divers from the Chicago area has not yet found Maddula. Authorities have brought in new resources from neighboring suburbs, including more divers to extend the search and a sonar team from Lake and McHenry counties, to examine the waters in Wilmette Harbor.

Law enforcement personnel also conducted an extensive ground search in the area adjoining and near the harbor.

Police and fire units from Evanston, Wilmette, Chicago, Cook County and suburban departments participated in the search. A total of 21 law enforcement agencies and fire departments were involved in the search.

An examination of cellphone activity for Maddula's phone showed that the closest cellphone tower to the last signal received from his phone was in that area. The signal was received early the morning of Sept. 22, shortly after Maddula was last seen at an off-campus party.

Wilmette Harbor is approximately two miles north of Maddula's residence hall on Northwestern's Evanston campus.

The search is being conducted by members of law enforcement agencies, divers from local fire departments and the U.S. Coast Guard. They have been searching the harbor and the boats docked in the harbor as well.

Maddula, a sophomore at Northwestern, was last seen Sept. 22 at approximately 12:30 a.m. leaving a party off campus. He is a resident of the Public Affairs Residential College on Northwestern's Evanston campus. A missing person report was sent statewide to law enforcement agencies Sept. 23.

Maddula is described as a male of Indian descent, 18 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, approximately 150 pounds, with black hair and dark brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black-framed glasses, a grey long-sleeve sweater with white and black stitching, dark grey pants and brown shoes. 


If you have any information on the whereabouts of Harsha Maddula, please contact Northwestern University Police at (847) 491-3254. 

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