University of Maryland student Dilan Shaan Ashar, who had been missing since Oct. 2, was found “disoriented” and “dehydrated” in the woods on Wednesday by campus police six days after he went missing.
University of Maryland Chief of Police David Mitchell said during a press conference on Thursday that the 22-year-old was located as they canvassed a wooded area in the surrounding College Park community at about 7:30 pm local time.
“Dilan came in from the cold,” he said. “He was dehydrated. He was disoriented. We know he was very hungry, and you can imagine after six days in the woods, what this young man went through.”
Mitchell said that law enforcement called for “immediate medical attention,” and first responders treated Ashar for dehydration and then transported him to a nearby hospital.
“We were able to reunify Dilan with his parents. And as I stood at the ambulance and I saw his mother and father and brother, and I was standing with [UMD] President Pines when Dilan saw his mother and his family, it’s hard to put into words how touched he was, and how touched that family was.”
His mother, Binita Ashar, shared an update on her personal Facebook page, celebrating her son’s return home.
“Elated to report that we have been reunited with Dilan! Heartfelt gratitude for all of your texts, posts, calls, prayers, well wishes and overwhelming support. Feeling very fortunate and thankful,” she wrote on Wednesday night.
University of Maryland President Darryll Pines thanked law enforcement, students, faculty and staff for their support in the search for Ashar.
“I want to thank our students and the entire University of Maryland community for their compassion, and their understanding in demonstrating their care,” he said.
Pines added that students proposed a plan to display a large sign on campus, saying “Welcome home Dilan,” which he has approved.
Ashar was found one day after his mother issued an emotional plea to the community for help as campus police searched for her son.
“Dilan is a kind, thoughtful young man who cares deeply about people. He loves sports and he loves to cook,” Binita Ashar, who was joined by his father and brother, said in the recorded message, which was released on the UMD police’s YouTube page on Tuesday.
Officials previously said that Ashar was last seen on Friday, Oct. 2, at about 2:30 am local time at the Terrapin Trail Garage near the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.
Police released two photos of Ashar, including one that was captured through surveillance footage of him leaving his residence at approximately 2 a.m. on the day he was last seen.
Police said several searches were been conducted around Terrapin Trail Garage, using drones, K-9 units, cadaver dogs and dozens of first responders, according to police. The searches covered surrounding areas like the university golf course, parking garages, wood lines, Lake Artemesia and nearby parks, officials said.
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