He was missing for a month and a half, now the 61-year-old from North Rhine-Westphalia has reappeared – on Mallorca. Perhaps the dementia patient wanted to fulfill a heart’s desire.
Palma – A man who was initially only reported missing in Germany reappeared in Mallorca after about a month and a half. A police patrol discovered the 61-year-old on Wednesday in Playa de Palma, shortly after a missing persons report had also been filed on the Spanish holiday island, as the “Mallorca Zeitung” reported on Thursday. The police confirmed this information on request. The man suffers from a serious illness that causes dementia attacks, said a police spokesman. But given the circumstances, he is doing well.
The wife of the former police officer from North Rhine-Westphalia explained in an interview with the “Mallorca Zeitung” that the man had made a list of things at home that he still wanted to do in life. A trip to Mallorca was also noted on this. Apparently without saying anything to family and friends, the man packed his bags and, according to official information, boarded a plane on June 24. The woman reported her husband missing on the same day, but initially only to the German authorities.
It is not yet known why the man traveled alone to the Mediterranean island and, according to the information, did not report the theft of a cell phone, wallet and credit card shortly after arrival. He was not registered in a hotel. “He lived on the street,” said the police spokesman.
According to the report, friends had seen the man on the wall on Playa de Palma some time ago, but thought nothing of it because they had no knowledge of the missing persons report. It took until the beginning of August before the German authorities passed the search order on to their Mallorcan colleagues. The man was found just 24 hours later. The vacationer is now in a four-star hotel until a family member picks him up on Friday and takes him back to Germany. dpa
