A Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) student who went missing last month has been found safe after a weeks-long search that included Syracuse and the Adirondacks region.
WHAM reports Matthew Grant was found Wednesday afternoon in Pennsylvania, about 300 miles from RIT’s campus in Upstate New York. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said his car was found Tuesday in the town of Delaware Water Gap, Pa., prompting search and rescue efforts on Mount Minsi.
Authorities said Grant, an avid hiker, found out he was reported missing around the same time and went to a police station in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, where he called his mother to tell her he was safe and coming home.
Grant, a 22-year-old native of Onaway, Michigan, had previously been last seen leaving Rochester around 10 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20, days before the Thanksgiving holiday. He reportedly left his off-campus home in Henrietta without his cell phone, wallet or telling anyone his plans.
Grant allegedly told his roommates he was going to meet a friend but instead went east, driving a 2014 gray Jeep Cherokee with Michigan license plate ESR 8141. He was last tracked to New York State Thruway Exit 36 near Interstate 81 (Watertown/Binghamton); last week, authorities said surveillance footage showed Grant on the night of Nov., 20 at a gas station between Thruway exits 41 (Waterloo) and 39 (Syracuse).
Matthew Grant, the 22-year-old missing student from RIT was last seen wearing this green coat and blue jeans on Nov. 20. He was tracked driving a 2014 Jeep Cherokee heading east and getting off a NYS Thruway exit in Syracuse. His family continues to search for him.Photos provided by Grant family and Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Grant’s family searched for him in Syracuse, Ithaca, Oneida, the Adirondacks, and Lake Placid, but a primary location was hard to pinpoint. Grant, described by authorities as 5-foot-8, and 125 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, had allegedly done recent searches on his computer for maps of the Adirondacks and the Appalachian Trail.
Grant’s family thanked everyone who helped in the search in a social media post.
“We are forever grateful. For the privacy of Matthew and his family, we ask that you refrain from flooding us with questions and speculations at this time. We will not be responding. We also ask if you personally know and love Matthew and his family, you do not flood their phones with messages. They feel your love,” the post said.
“Throughout this ordeal, the care, encouragement and assistance of this campus has been unwavering in the effort to aid in the search. I want to thank the RIT community for their steadfast support in locating Matthew,” added Sandra Johnson, RIT’s Senior Vice President of Student Affairs.