Man missing after being dropped off at Chicago airport found safe, police say

CHICAGO -- A man who went missing after being dropped off at O'Hare airport has been found safe and is back with his family, Chicago police said Tuesday night.

CPD did not immediately provide any additional details on how Elijah Hoard was found.

Elijah Hoard spent 10 days in Chicago with his family and was set to fly home to France. However, Hoard's loved ones said he never boarded his scheduled flight.

A photo with his father, Antwon Hoard, shows was the last time he was seen.

"To my knowledge he was going to just register his ticket and get on the flight but for whatever reason he never took the flight his bags weren't registered, and he never checked in, so what we're thinking is he could possibly be floating around the airport or something, but again, that's the last we've seen of him," Antwon Hoard said.

Antwon Hoard says his son suffers from mental illness and was reluctant to return home to France after spending time in Chicago.

"Everything seemed pretty normal the first eight days, but the last two days his whole mood had swung, and he was really adamant about not going back home, and he didn't want to go home," Antwon Hoard said.

Chicago police have officially reported him missing and are now looking into surveillance cameras around O'Hare airport.

The news caught the attention of French basketball stars Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum who posted on social media and are hoping for the safe return of Hoard.