Ken DeLand Jr. is alive, according to his family and a CNN report Friday morning. The DeLand family confirms they have heard from the missing St. John Fisher University exchange student.
CNN explained that Ken DeLand Sr. was on the phone with them when he received another call. It was his son, Deland Jr., on the other end. Deland Sr. told CNN his son is alive, but that’s all he could say.
The DeLand Family released the following statement Friday on the website set up to help search for their son:
Deland Jr., a St. John Fisher senior, had been studying at the University of Grenoble Alpes, according to his family.
No one had heard from him since Nov. 27. Fellow students reported him missing on Nov. 29. Grenoble authorities immediately launched an investigation.
DeLand Jr.’s story has attracted national attention. Now, after being missing for 18 days, he has been found, although the details of his disappearance are, for the moment, still a mystery.