Father of college student who disappeared while studying in France says his son is alive

Mr DeLand Jr is reportedly alive in Spain

Ken DeLand Jr, 22, posing for a photo. Mr DeLand Jr has gone missing in France while studying abroad, and was last seen at a sporting goods store on 3 December (handout/FindKenDeLand)

The American college student who mysteriously disappeared while studying abroad in France is alive, according to his father.

Ken DeLand Jr disappeared a little more than two weeks ago, launching an international missing persons search as his family feared the worst.

The college student’s father, Ken DeLand Sr, was providing an interview to CNN on Friday when he suddenly hung up the phone. He called back later with "good news" for the broadcasters – his son was alive, and the two had just had a conversation.

"He is alive – that’s all I can say," he told the network.

Eric Vaillant, a French prosecutor, confirmed to the network that Mr DeLand Jr was alive and currently in Spain.

During the call with CNN, Mr DeLand Sr did not elaborate on his conversation with his son, and provided no details on his whereabouts for the past two weeks.

Mr DeLand Jr’s family began searching for him after learning from a school official that he had gone missing on 27 November. He was expected back in the US this Saturday following the end of his college semester and the expiration of his education visa. Mr DeLand Jr’s classmates told police that he had been “depressed” and “in a fragile mood” as the end of his study abroad period approached.

A woman who had acted as a host for Mr DeLand Jr while he was in France told his family that he may have just left voluntarily. French legal authorities forwarded the same possibility in the early stages of the search.

His parents rejected that idea.

"For him to not reach out, with no correspondence, this is very uncharacteristic of my son," Mr DeLand Sr told the broadcaster. "This is what creates all that worry that any parents could ever feel."