Man who went missing as teenager eight years ago has been found safe

A man who disappeared almost a decade ago has been found.

Rudy Farias, from Texas, was just 17-years-old when he went missing while taking his dogs for a walk in March 2015.

The teenager was reported missing after the two dogs returned home without their leads.

And despite a nationwide search, Farias had not been seen for the past eight years.

That was until the Texas Centre for the Missing confirmed on Saturday (1 July) that he had been 'located safe' and was now recovering in hospital.

Sharing the news to social media, the Texas Center for the Missing shared a photo of Rudy.

The post read: "After 8 long years, Rudy has been located safe. Please continue to keep his family in your prayers as Rudy recovers in the hospital."

Facebook

While the circumstances surrounding his disappearance have yet to be confirmed, at the time it was reported that Farias had suffered with depression following the death of his older brother.

Speaking in April 2015, private investigator Brenda Paradise said: "He watched his best friend die right in front of him.

"His brother was his best friend in the world. He's just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should.

"This family has been through so much. Whatever happened, a mum needs answers about her son."

At the time of his disappearance, police didn't suspect any foul play.

But Farias, now 25, was found lying unresponsive outside a church recently.

According to his family, he had a number of cuts and bruises, as well as blood in his hair.

Facebook

He is now recovering in hospital, Farias' mom, who also shared a photo of her son lying in a hospital bed, told ABC 13.

Reacting to the news that he had been found, Texas EquuSearch director Tim Miller told KPRC that he couldn't believe it, branding the news a 'miracle'.

“How did this happen? We believe in miracles and this certainly was a miracle,” he said.

“I can’t even tell you how many times we searched and how many leads and tips came in and they just kind of faded away and now all of a sudden, this.”

Now, Miller said, it's time to get to the bottom of how and why Farias disappeared in the first place.

“There’s a lot to investigate to kind of see what happened, where it happened, how it happened,” he said.