(CP) Described as a "Christmas miracle" by his family, American citizen Travis Timmerman has been found in Syria after being unexpectedly detained for seven months while making a pilgrimage in an effort to deepen his Christian faith.
Timmerman, a Missouri native, had been missing since June before resurfacing in a Damascus suburb. Timmerman was held in the notorious Sednaya prison, where the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad has arbitrarily detained tens of thousands. He was released as rebels overthrew the Assad regime this month.
He told reporters that he crossed mountains into Syria from Lebanon because he was on a religious pilgrimage influenced by his intensive Bible reading and desire to deepen his understanding of Christianity.
His entry into Syria from Lebanon by foot, however, led to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment for several months. His detainment came to light only recently after Syrian rebel forces ousted Assad and the chaotic prison releases that followed.
A resident told NPR's Ruth Sherlock, on the ground in Damascus, that he found Timmerman walking barefoot in the street.
The Timmerman family, speaking to NBC News, expressed profound relief and joy upon his release, marking the end of a harrowing period of uncertainty.
"Feels pretty great! Praise the Lord!" Timmerman's sister Pixie Rogers said. "I would like for him to know that my whole family and I love him so much and that we are happy to know that we are going to see him soon."
Timmerman's pastor, Don Kelderhouse of Preston Bible Baptist Church, told the network that Timmerman was baptized about over a year ago and was on fire to share his faith in Christ.
"It's a miracle. ... The fact that we think that he hasn't been abused that's another miracle," he told NBC News.
Timmerman's mother, Stacey Collins Gardiner, told NPR, "It's a Christmas miracle."
Gardiner said she received the news from journalists, who called her.
"At first, I was hoping it was him, but we didn't know if it was a scam or what. And then my daughter saw him on the news," she said. "Not him, but they were talking about Travis. ... and I was so surprised. I was so happy, I cried too — happy tears."
U.S. officials, who remained anonymous, told media that Timmerman had been transferred to Jordan following his release and was currently under the care of State Department officials, according to Reuters. He was initially handed over to U.S. troops at Tanf garrison near the tri-border area of Syria, Iraq and Jordan before being flown out via U.S. military helicopter.
During his captivity, Timmerman was isolated but not mistreated, but he could hear the sounds of other prisoners being tortured nearby.
The White House said it had no prior knowledge of Timmerman's presence in Syria.
Timmerman had been incorrectly identified in some media reports as Austin Tice, another missing American whose fate remains a mystery. This mix-up briefly caused confusion and distress within the community and among journalists closely following both cases.
Before his disappearance, Timmerman had traveled through Eastern Europe, with stops in the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Missouri law enforcement and the Hungarian capital's police force had been tracking his movements.
