Michael Hewitt, 65, and a Leeds United fan, left his home in Leeds on June 20 bound for Boston to watch the World Cup. He had a layover in Barcelona. He never made it to the match.
He lost his phone as soon as he set foot in the city, and with it, his tickets and all contact with the outside world. Meanwhile, back in England, his brother Gary launched a search that ended up involving Interpol, the British embassy, and the Spanish police. Ten days of anguish, tracking bank transactions, and viral posts asking for help to find him.
And him? Having a drink in a bar, watching England’s matches as if nothing had happened. He was recognized, purely by chance, by a British police officer on vacation who also follows Leeds and saw his jersey. Gary summed up what he felt upon learning he was safe: he wanted to hug him and strangle him at the same time.