'It's a Christmas miracle' Family & friends rejoice after local man found overseas

URBANA, Mo. — To say the past several hours for the family of Travis Timmerman have been emotional, would be an understatement.

This morning, news broke overseas of Timmerman being found after escaping a Syrian prison.

Timmerman had previously been reported missing since June of this year.

"We are really thrilled to hear this news today. We haven't been in contact with him for that long, so we are literally overjoyed with this piece of knowing that he's okay and he's fine and he's safe," Pixie Rogers, Travis' sister said. "The Good Lord was protecting him through these past seven months and as well as family and friends, all prayers go out to every single one, and we are all appreciated on that part. My mom, I know she is very, very esthetic, enjoyed, overwhelmed, and just beyond super excited with this information that we got today."

Timmerman graduated from Skyline High School in 2013 said Rogers, before going to Missouri State, then to the University of Tennessee for law.

Rogers says Timmerman said God called him to go overseas.

She says they found out he was safe and alive from morning news reports.

"I told my mom, Travis is safe. He's fine. He's doing well. She just busted out crying. She was like, 'that's my baby, that's my baby' and thankful and all that stuff. That really wore on my heart to have relief for my mom because it had been a burden on my mom ever since she lost contact with him and, well, all of us really," Rogers said.

Rogers added that the stories she had seen on national television were her first look at her brother in months.

"Once I saw his face, I'm like, Holy moly. I'm like, is that really my brother?" Rogers said. "And it was. I know how he talks. I know how he does stuff with his hands and but once I saw his beard and just his facial impressions and everything, it's just I was like, oh my gosh, like, this is him."

Another part of this for Rogers is the fact that she gave birth to her daughter while Timmerman was missing, meaning when Timmerman returns to the Ozarks, it'll be his first chance to meet his niece.

"That's a big deal. I mean, I probably will cry and just tear up. I can't wait for that day," Rogers said.

Longtime family friend Allyson Ott says what Timmerman endured could only be described as a nightmare.

"It turned into an absolute nightmare like no one should ever have to go through. No one should ever have to deal with this," Ott said. "A couple comments had said that he wasn't mistreated in the seven months he was detained. It's just he was only allowed to use the bathroom three times a day. He couldn't use it as he wanted. He was fed and he was never tortured, but he said he heard some of the others, unfortunately, that were too tortured and mistreated."

Ott says relief is the best word to describe today.

"That is a huge, huge relief. It's like a brick has been lifted off my chest, my shoulders. It's been such a long six, seven months trying to figure out, you know, just if he was okay," Ott said. "That's all we wanted to know is if he was at least just okay. We didn't even know if he was okay."

Rogers says it's unclear what day Timmerman is expected home, but says she can hardly wait.

"I'll probably just hug him for a very long time and tell him that he that I'm glad he's safe and that God protected him and, and that he was able to come home safely," Rogers said. "This is a whole huge Christmas present that we all get to enjoy. I told my mom this morning I was like, It's a Christmas miracle."