Earlier today, it was announced that former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell had been reported missing. Daytona Beach Police Department released a Facebook post asking for information. The post, made on the official Daytona Beach Police Facebook post and first reported by TMZ, asked the public for any information that could help find the Drake & Josh star.
According to the report, Bell had last been seen in the Daytona Highlands neighborhood near US Route 92 at 9pm Wednesday evening. Providing a description of his 2022 gray BMW, police said Bell was "missing and endangered." Few details were given aside from a description of the car and Bell's last known location.
Bell Spotted At SeaWorld With Son
According to information provided to TMZ, Bell was spotted by a fan at SeaWorld Orlando. The fan approached Bell, who was reportedly "nice and soft-spoken, but seemed fine." SeaWorld Orlando is 68 miles and a 70-minute drive from Bell's last reported location. The missing persons report did not mention Bell's son. Bell is now in communication with law enforcement but is reportedly safe. The sighting at SeaWorld occurred a little over two hours after the police released their announcement around 7am. Given that SeaWorld Orlando opens at 9am, this indicates that Bell left Daytona Beach with his son his morning and arrived at the park as, or just after, it opened.
The incident raises a number of questions, which we hope will be answered in the coming days. Who filed the missing persons report? Was it a concerned relative or a malicious prank? The fact that Bell was with his son, who was not mentioned in the report, points to this potentially being a hoax. Furthermore, what was filed in the report that made police worried for Bell's safety? Bell was only reported as "endangered" but not said to be a danger to the public. Once again, this speaks to a hoax. Additionally, if Drake Bell traveled to Orlando with his son after the Daytona Beach police release their statement, where we the police looking for him? Unfortunately, we won't know for sure until the police conduct a full investigation. However, regardless of the motives, we are glad to hear that Drake Bell is safe.
[via]