BARCELONA, SPAIN - An England soccer fan who vanished while traveling to the United States for the World Cup was reportedly found safe in Spain, completely unaware that his family was even searching for him.
Michael Hewitt, 65, last spoke with his family in Barcelona on June 21, one day after the diehard Leeds United fan flew out of the UK, according to the New York Post. Hewitt was in Spain for a short layover before he was set to fly out to Boston, where England played out a 0-0 draw against Ghana on Wednesday, June 24.
However, after losing his phone, which contained all his travel tickets, he became stuck in Barcelona, his brother Gary, said. "He lost his phone soon after arriving in Barcelona, and didn’t know any of the phone numbers stored on it,” Gary said. "He didn’t think to go to the Embassy as he still had his passport and money, so didn’t think they’d be interested."
Hewitt, known affectionately as "Little Mick," didn't have access to the internet and was "blissfully unaware" that his family was desperately searching for him. "Instead, he just got on with enjoying Barcelona, watching the England matches in the bars." His family last saw Facebook photos of him at a bar in the European city before he lost contact.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Interpol launched an investigation into Hewitt's disappearance, as relatives urged locals to spread posts about him.
After 10 days, the British Embassy in Spain tracked down the soccer fan's hotel through his card payments and put him in touch with his family the next day. Gary wrote a Facebook statement that the family was grateful to have a happy ending after the terrifying search.
"As a family, we desperately wanted an embarrassingly simple but happy ending to this horrendous episode, and we now have that,” Gary said. "It’s amazing what can be achieved when the good people of the world go Marching on Together,” he said — a nod to the anthem of Leeds United.
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