Investigators located a missing 16-year-old Olympia High School football player late Thursday evening after an extensive two-day search.
Gabriel Davies of Olympia was found at 10 p.m. on the 13600 block Tilley Road Southwest, according to a Friday morning update by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. He was located north of where deputies said they found his vehicle under “suspicious circumstances.”
Davies has been returned safely to his family, per the update. However, the Sheriff’s Office did not disclose any additional details about his condition or how they found him.
“At this time, TCSO will not be making any additional comments regarding this incident,” the update said. “We ask that you give Gabriel and his family the necessary privacy at this time.”
The search and rescue operation started on Wednesday evening and captivated many Thurston County community members on social media. On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office shared some details about their investigation and indicated he may have entered Millersylvania State Park.
Detectives treated the incident as suspicious because Davies’ vehicle was found abandoned on private property on the 16100 block of Tilley Road just after 5:30 p.m. He was due to attend football practice at Olympia High School at 4 p.m., but he never arrived.
At the scene, detectives reportedly found items strewn about, a small amount of blood and a smashed cell phone.
Lt. Cameron Simper previously said they had no indication Davies was with another person. He also called the incident uncharacteristic of Davies’ behavior.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office led the search with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a Washington State Patrol aviation unit, Olympia Police and the Washington State Parks Department.
