A missing University of Maryland student was found safe after a six-day search when he emerged from woodland and asked rescuers: "Are you looking for me?" Dilan Shaan Ashar, 22, approached a search-and-rescue vehicle, startling the crew by knocking on the driver's window and enquiring whether they had been searching for him.
The "dehydrated and hungry" student was given medical treatment before being reunited with his parents and older brother. He had disappeared in the early hours of October 2.
Search operation details
His family last spoke to him at around 6 pm the night before. CCTV footage showed him leaving his accommodation at approximately 2 am, dressed in a black university hoodie, grey jogging bottoms and white trainers. He was spotted again roughly 30 minutes later at the Terrapin Trail Garage on the College Park campus.
Dilan left behind his mobile phone, wallet and identification, prompting serious concerns among police about his wellbeing. His parents visited his accommodation later that morning and found he was nowhere to be seen. University and county police subsequently launched a search of the campus and surrounding areas.
Extensive search efforts
A drone was deployed over woodland near the parking garage the following day, with dog teams brought in to sweep the same area that evening. Nearly 50 first responders and nine dogs conducted a thorough 110-acre search operation.
Officers made repeated checks of parking garages, wooded perimeters, neighbouring parks, Lake Artemesia and the university golf course. More than 1,000 security cameras were reportedly examined as the investigation widened. Students covered the campus and surrounding areas with posters displaying Dilan's face, while his family issued an emotional plea urging the public to help bring him home.
Discovery and aftermath
At approximately 7:30 pm on Wednesday (October 7), Dilan emerged from woodland near Lot 4, opposite the university's Xfinity Centre. He approached a vehicle belonging to Howard County Search and Rescue, knocked on its window and asked: "Are you looking for me?".
Emergency crews found him dehydrated, hungry, frightened and dishevelled. An ambulance was summoned, and he was transported for further medical treatment. Police believe Dilan had been moving around the woodland during his disappearance because extensive earlier searches of the area had failed to find him.
There is no indication that anybody else was involved, and investigators have not revealed what prompted his disappearance. They plan to speak with him more thoroughly once he is medically fit.
His family said: "Dilan is safe, and our family is together again. As his parents and brother, we can't fully put into words what that means to us." They expressed gratitude towards university officials, detectives, and the local, state and federal agencies who played a part in the operation. They went on to say: "Dilan especially wants to thank the students who put up flyers all over campus and the community. We will never forget."
