By Cait Heiderman
Missing University of Maryland student Dilan Ashar was found alive Wednesday night after spending six days in the woods near the university.
Ashar, 22, was found at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after walking out of a heavily wooded area near the university’s Xfinity Center Lot 4. He then approached a police vehicle, University of Maryland Police Department Chief David Mitchell announced in a news conference Thursday morning.
“Dilan came out of the woods and he knocked on the driver’s side window of Howard County Search and Rescue and said, ‘Are you looking for me?’” Mitchell said.
Ashar was dehydrated, disheveled and hungry, according to Mitchell.
At the news conference, UMD President Darryll Pines and Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perillo spoke.
“Today is a great day for our university. Today is a great day to be a Terp. Today is a great day for the Ashar family,” Pines said.
Perillo read a prepared statement from Ashar’s family during the news conference.
“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,” the statement said. “We saw firsthand how far this university will go for one of its students.”
Following his discovery, Ashar was transported for medical treatment, where he still remains, according to Mitchell. Police have not yet determined what led to his disappearance or what happened during the six days he was missing.
Ashar’s parents reported him missing Oct. 2 after becoming concerned about his whereabouts. UMPD and Prince George’s County Police Department worked together with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to search for Ashar.
Ashar was last seen leaving on a surveillance video in the area of Terrapin Trail Garage at about 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 2. He left his residence at around 2 a.m. and did not have his cell phone, wallet or personal identification, his family said in a UMPD released video.
Investigators believed that Ashar could be in great danger, according to Mitchell.
“Through the past six days, we have searched hundreds and hundreds of acres, all of our buildings on campus, all of our garages and we’ve searched them repeatedly,” Mitchell said.
UMPD conducted a search with roughly 50 first responders and nine dogs on the morning of Oct. 4 in the area of the Terrapin Trail Garage. Ashar was not located during this search effort, which covered approximately 110 acres of land, according to police.
In addition, police conducted a K-9-assisted track of the wooded area around Terrapin Trail Garage on Oct. 3. UMPD used a drone for an aerial search of the area around the garage on Oct. 3 and the area around UMD’s golf course on Oct. 4.
Ashar was found wearing the same clothes he was supposedly wearing when he disappeared. Investigators believe Ashar may have seen news coverage of the search while missing in the woods, according to Mitchell.
“It was heartening to see how many lives were touched by this investigation,” Mitchell said. “It’s heartening to know that our students are tuned in to the safety of one of our own. “
Perillo said the university has invested significant resources in making sure support systems are in place for students, including physical health services, counseling center, chaplaincies and accessibility and disability services.
“It’s rare that a large public university has the kind of feel of care and connection that this place does at the University of Maryland,” Perillo said.
Featured Image: University of Maryland Police Department Chief David Mitchell addresses the media during Thursday’s news conference. Photo by Cait Heiderman.