A Utah girl was rescued from an Oregon man’s residence after she managed to reach support through another child in Among Us.

Officials freed the 17-year-old on November 1, 2026, after a lead passed along by a younger player she met while using developer Innersloth’s popular social deduction game, according to Newsweek. She had allegedly been confined for more for more than 500 days by 39-year-old Adam Harmel after he transported her across state borders and kept her from leaving.

The Utah teenager was only 15 when she was said to have disappeared in May 2025. Harmel allegedly started messaging her on Snapchat earlier that month, then offered money to help her travel to his house in Oregon. He later drove for hours to reach her location and persuaded her into his vehicle, getting rid of her phone by tossing it into a river soon afterward.

Investigators said Harmel made the teen sleep in a bed with him in his basement, and his behavior grew more aggressive during the 521 days she was held there. She found a chance to get away when the alleged captor gave her access to a phone without cellular service.

Even though she could not contact anyone by normal means, the phone still let her join a WiFi connection and play online games. Among Us, which lets players chat and launched on mobile devices in 2018, helped her connect with another child.

After shifting the conversation to another, unnamed social media app, she told the other player who she was, making clear that she was being held at Harmel’s home in Oregon.

She expressed fear that, after more than 500 days of searching, authorities had stopped trying to find her. The other child then informed their mother about the exchange, and that parent contacted the FBI. A later video call with the missing teenager allowed her to explain her situation to investigators.

She was taken from Harmel’s property later that same day. Harmel was later taken into custody and charged with moving the teenager across state lines with the intent to exploit her.

• Rescue came after a young online contact noticed the danger and told an adult.
• The teen had been missing since May 2025, when she was 15.
• Officials say the suspect used social apps and travel promises to lure her away.
• Her access to a WiFi-only phone opened the way to help through an online game.