On Sunday, Mexican police launched a full-scale rescue operation to find missing striker Alan Pulido, and by Monday, authorities reported that they found the 25-year-old futbolista. The Olympiacos player was reported missing after he left a party in Tamaulipas on Saturday night. According to AFP, Pulido called police when his captors weren’t paying attention. “During a moment of inattention by the captors in the place where he was located, he was able to make a phone call and ask for help, giving his location and we were able to immediately rescue the victim,” Tamaulipas state prosecutor Ismael Quintanilla said.
Officials said six gunmen abducted Pulido, and Quintanilla added that one from Veracruz ended up arrested. Pulido held a news conference early Monday and said that that he was “very well, very well, thank God.” He received medical attention after suffering a small injury. Pulido was kidnapped alongside his girlfriend, but the captors released her immediately. No ransom was paid.
Pulido’s name trended on Twitter most of Sunday, where people condemned the violence in the state and others kept him in their prayers. His peers also used Twitter to celebrate his safe return: