What happened to Dilan Ashar? UMD student found “disoriented” after 6 days in the woods

COLLEGE PARK, Maryland (7News) — A 22-year-old University of Maryland (UMD) student who was missing from campus for nearly a week was found alive Wednesday evening after spending six days in the woods.

Dilan Ashar was found around 7:30 p.m., dehydrated, disoriented and extremely hungry, UMD Police Chief David Mitchell said at a news conference Thursday.

“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 immediately treated by emergency crews before being transported to hospital.

The search began Oct. 2 after Prince George’s County police received a report of a missing person near Knox Road in College Park. Investigators became particularly concerned after learning that Ashar had left behind his cell phone, identification documents and wallet.

“We had reason to believe Ashar might be in serious danger,” Mitchell said.

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University of Maryland Police provide update on Dilan Ashar on October 8, 2026. (7News)

Surveillance footage showed Ashar at the Terrapin Trail garage around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 2, near the Xfinity Center. Police determined he left the garage and headed northeast toward a wooded area of ​​campus.

Over the next six days, investigators searched hundreds of acres, repeatedly checking campus buildings, parking lots and surrounding wooded areas. Police also reviewed footage from more than 1,000 cameras and called in K-9 teams, including bloodhounds, to assist in the search.

“We have pools of water. We have a lake in Artemesia. We had no reason to believe Dylan had headed north and west toward the subway tracks, etc. Our next step was to do a grid search north and west and gather our resources, including those of all our dogs,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell added that the investigation was particularly difficult because Ashar did not have his cell phone or any other electronic devices that police could use to track his location.

READ | Missing University of Maryland student found alive after days of search

After his discovery Wednesday evening, Ashar was reunited with his parents and older brother. Chief Mitchell described the emotional moment Ashar saw his family again.

“It’s hard to express in words,” Mitchell said.

Police have yet to determine what led to Ashar’s disappearance or what exactly happened during the six days he was missing.

“I can’t say or pinpoint one exact thing that caused Dylan to come out of the woodwork,” Mitchell said. “I like to think that the statement released by Dylan’s mother, father and brother, in tears, begging for his return, had something to do with it.”

Mitchell said investigators plan to talk to Ashar once he is medically ready.

University of Maryland President Darryll Pines described the past week as difficult for the campus community, but said he was proud of how students, faculty and staff came together to help find Ashar.

“As you can imagine, I was thrilled to hear this news and really happy for our entire University of Maryland community, and especially the Asher family,” Pines said.

He also thanked law enforcement, first responders, students and media for their efforts throughout the six-day search.