Jon D’Agostino, a missing Syracuse man and former Ithaca College student, has been discovered alive in Pennsylvania, according to law enforcement.
Why It Matters
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The search for D’Agostino’s disappearance prompted a massive deployment of resources, including drones, search dogs, divers, local police, forest rangers, and volunteers.
According to Syracuse.com, authorities initiated the search after D’Agostino’s car was located at Buttermilk Falls State Park near Ithaca, New York, along with his phone and scrawled messages that may have alluded to self-harm.
What To Know
D’Agostino was last seen leaving the Ithaca College campus, where he was a former student, on September 7. That’s when his vehicle was discovered, along with a note expressing worry for his well-being.
Law enforcement sources characterized him as a white male standing roughly 6 feet tall, weighing about 210 pounds, with a shaved head, dark beard, and mustache. He was last spotted wearing blue trousers, a grey sweatshirt, and a green knit hat.
The search involved state and municipal police, forest rangers, K-9 teams, drones, underwater divers, and volunteers. Over several days, teams combed the 811-acre Buttermilk Falls State Park and nearby area, but there were no verifiable sightings.
On September 8, the day after D’Agostino’s disappearance, a man informed his father, Frank D’Agostino, that he had picked up the missing person while hitchhiking in Elmira, New York, and given him a ride to Trout Run, Pennsylvania.
“The details he was able to provide of their conversation make me 100 percent sure it was him (Jonathan),” Frank D’Agostino said, according to Syracuse.com.
According to the same witness, Jonathan indicated that he was traveling through Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and planned to continue south by foot and hitching while accessing the Internet at public libraries.
D’Agostino’s family continued to share information and advised residents of numerous eastern and southern states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, to keep a watch out and be careful.
Law enforcement did not confirm such reports until September 22, when state park police announced D’Agostino had been located alive and healthy in Pennsylvania.
No other information about his condition or circumstances has been made public.
What Happens Next
Police have not revealed any other information on D’Agostino’s recovery or medical condition, or his immediate plans.
