Update: The student was found and is safe.
RIVERDALE, Utah, Dec. 30, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 17-year-old foreign exchange student from China originally believed to have been abducted in Riverdale may be camping along the Wasatch Front, police said Saturday.
The student, currently residing in Riverdale, was reported missing early Friday morning. Riverdale police originally said officers had reason to believe he was “forcefully taken from his home and is being held against his will.”
In an update Saturday, Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren said “it is possible that (he) is camping somewhere along the Wasatch Front in a tent.”
“He had a recent interaction with law enforcement in Provo in which he had camping gear with him. (He) has also made several recent purchases of additional camping-related supplies,” Warren said.
Police say the student likely has the camping gear with him but there is concern for his welfare due to the extreme cold conditions. Police are asking the public to check local wooded/camping areas when possible.
The missing teen is described as Asian, 5 feet 9 inches tall and 150 pounds, with black hair and dark eyes.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Riverdale Police Department at 801-394-6616 or Weber Dispatch at 801-395-8221.
