Lushevskiy was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2004. Lushevskiy and his parents traveled to Claremont, California in October 2004 to visit a friend who attended Harvey Mudd College. He was last seen on October 31. His parents reported him missing the following day.

Lushevskiy is believed to have gone hiking in the Mount Baldy area on the day of his disappearance. He was last seen at 4:00 p.m. at the base of the Sierra Hut Trail up the 10,000-foot mountain. Lushevskiy was ill-clothed for the weather; temperatures were below freezing and there was snow and wind in the days following his disappearance. It is not known if he had a sleeping bag or tent. His mother stated that he had had wilderness training as a child; he was a Boy Scout for five years.

On November 6, searchers found the backpack Lushevskiy had borrowed for his hike near the summit of Mount Baldy. A video camera inside the backpack contained a tape that showed Lushevskiy built a campfire on the night of October 31 and watched the sunrise the next morning. The tape ended after that.

Searchers found nothing indicating Lushevskiy's whereabouts, but it is believed that he became lost or injured and died of exposure on the mountain. Foul play is not suspected in his case, but it remains unsolved.