Travis Timmerman was found near Damascus after being released from prison by rebels. The man claims he was arrested seven months ago after entering the country, and since his release, he has been trying to get out of Syria.

The 29-year-old said he was detained earlier this year after crossing into Syria on foot from Lebanon and held in prison until the fall of Assad. Timmerman's family called it a "Christmas miracle."

An American man found wandering the streets outside the Syrian capital of Damascus barefoot identified himself as Pete Travis Timmerman on Thursday. Timmerman was last seen in Budapest, Hungary,