Full Breakdown
University of Maryland Student Found After Days-Long Campus Search
By Drooid · · How we work
Disappearance and Discovery
On the early morning of October 2, 2026, 22-year-old Dilan Shaan Ashar was captured on campus surveillance leaving his residence and entering the Terrapin Trail Parking Garage near the Xfinity Center. He was wearing a black University of Maryland hoodie, gray sweatpants and white shoes, and was described as 6 ft 2 in tall and about 185 lb. Ashar left the garage and headed northeast into a heavily wooded area of the College Park campus. He was missing for six days, without a cellphone, wallet or identification.
Police located Ashar on the evening of October 8, 2026 at approximately 7:30 p.m. after he emerged from the woods, knocked on the driver’s-side window of a Howard County Search and Rescue vehicle, and asked, “Are you looking for me?” He was treated for dehydration, hunger and disorientation before being taken to a nearby hospital and reunited with his family.
Background & Context
The University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) classified the case as a “critical missing-person” incident, triggering a coordinated response with Prince George’s County police and community volunteers. Counseling services were later made available to students.
Timeline of Search
| Date | Key Actions |
|---|---|
| Oct 2 – 2:30 a.m. | Surveillance captures Ashar at Terrapin Trail Garage; he departs toward woods. |
| Oct 3 | K-9 teams conduct an initial track. |
| Oct 4 (morning) | Search of roughly 110 acres involving ~50 first responders and nine dogs. |
| Oct 4 (afternoon) | Drone scans the university golf course and surrounding woods. |
| Oct 7 | UMPD issues a public statement thanking volunteers. |
| Oct 8 | Ashar is found, treated, and reunited with family. |
Search Efforts and Scale
- Area Covered: About 110 acres, including parking garages, Lake Artemisia, the golf course and adjacent woods.
- Resources Deployed: Drones, thermal cameras, K-9 units and roughly 50 first-responders.
- Community Involvement: Students, faculty, staff and local residents posted flyers, shared pleas on social media and assisted on-ground.
Official Statements & Responses
Police Chief David Mitchell said the search was “all-hands-on-deck” and that the lack of electronic devices “compounded the investigation.”
University President Darryll Pines expressed relief, describing the week as “difficult for the campus community” and praising the collective effort that led to Ashar’s safe return.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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?'” — David Mitchell, UMD police chief
- “We had reason to believe that [Ashar] could be in grave danger,” — David Mitchell
- “As you can imagine, I was overjoyed to learn this news and truly happy for our entire University of Maryland community, and particularly for the Asher family,” — Darryll Pines
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Media outlets differed on the length of the search, describing it as either five or six days. Details about Ashar’s activities during the missing period remain limited due to privacy considerations.
Impact and Community Response
The resolution highlighted the effectiveness of coordinated campus-wide emergency protocols and community vigilance. The university announced additional mental-health resources for students and affirmed plans to maintain robust surveillance and rapid-response capabilities for future incidents.