Can anyone out there help to locate or provide information about a family friend who went missing from Alicante Airport. He was at the Airport on 3rd and 4th of May and we know he checked in for two flights to Gatwick. The second flight was IB4142. He boarded neither of them. The British Consul has told us he was at Alicante General Hospital on the evening of the 3rd and that on Friday he was put in a cab back to Airport. Its unclear to us why he was at the hospital that evening as we have had conflicting reports from various people as the language problem is difficult for us. He does suffer with his mental health, but is not a danger to anyone and we cannot understand what could have happened to him. We can only assume that maybe he has not taken his medication as he should and hence is now suffering the consequences. He has not made telephone contact with anyone at home and we think he maybe roaming around suffering acute paranoia. His passport was found at the airport on the friday but despite numerous calls to the Airport we couldn't get any help to locate him within the airport so his family flew out there on Saturday to look for themselves but were unsuccessful in finding him and are currently as I type searching Alicante for him with a photograph, but as they cannot speak spanish its very difficult for them. He is English, 47 years old, and slim with dark hair. If anyone out has any info or suggestions please e-mail me.

caroline

I have only just read your message. I am thinking about you and your friend and his family. What a difficult situation.

Has anyone managed to locate him yet? I really hope so.

Jo-Anne

[originally posted by caroline h on 5-7-01...]

Subject: Thank you, Jo-Anne

Have sent you an e-mail but am not to sure if it went off okay so just in case it didn't I thought I'd put this here to say thank you for your kind words.

first of all, i hope by now you might have had some luck in finding this poor man... i can only imagine how scary this must be. at least he's lost in Alicante and not lost in a more sketchy place, like Amsterdam...

my mother has alzheimer's and i know how wandering can be when due to dimentia or another type of mental illness...

i'm sure i can speak for others when i say good luck and we are all hoping for the best! please keep us posted!

You didn't post the name of this person.

Here is a news item I found on the Costa Blanca News site. Is this the same person?

Torrevieja court signs preventative custody order
NEWS Staff Reporter
British national Derek Watling, 42, a manic-depressive psychotic who has been urgently sought in the Torrevieja area for the past three weeks, was taken into police custody in Torrevieja yesterday and transferred to Vega Baja Hospital following a court order.

Mr Watling, who suffers from paranoia and persecution mania, arrived in Spain last month after disappearing from his home in the UK. A doctor in England immediately issued an urgent warning that he could be a serious danger to himself and the public if he felt himself threatened.

Watling, who had been living rough, has been arrested several times, but released with a caution.

Following reports of sightings in Torrevieja, his brother-in-law Richard Channon flew out to Spain to join in the hunt. Aided by Graham Knight of the Foreign Residents Office, Mr Channon sought an urgent court order committing him into custody for psychiatric assessment and treatment. The order was finally approved in a brief court hearing following a further sighting and subsequent detention of the patient yesterday. A police source said Mr Watling had been living rough in the Playa Cura area of the town, but refused to comment on whether charges were pending for law and order offences.

Mr Channon told Costa Blanca News: "The family have been very worried for Derek's welfare. He has a wife back home and manages a successful health club, but if he fails to take his medication problems can occur. We are now preparing to pay £7,000 for a specialist medical team to fly out from the UK and escort Derek home, but first he needs to be stabilised. Our current major concern is that he may be released from Vega Baja if he convinces the doctors of his recovery. With two degrees and a successful business career, he is very personable when his condition is under control."
http://www.costablanca-news.com/local.htm