In a remarkable turn of events, Alex Batty, a British teenager who went missing six years ago, has been found in the mountains of France. The 17-year-old reached out to his grandmother for the first time in years using the phone of a French man who encountered him while wandering in the Pyrenees.
Alex, who hails from Oldham in Greater Manchester, disappeared at the age of 11 while on holiday with his mother and grandfather in Spain. His unexpected reappearance came after a concerned motorist, Fabien Accidini, spotted him walking along a road in the foothills of the Pyrenees early one Wednesday morning.
Detailing his encounter, Accidini shared, “He explained that he had been walking for four days and that he set off from a place in the mountains, though he didn’t say where. I typed his name into the internet and saw that he was being looked for.”
Using Accidini’s Facebook account, Alex managed to contact his grandmother in the UK with a heartfelt message: “Hello Grandma, it’s me, Alex. I’m in France Toulouse. I really hope that you receive this message. I love you, I want to come home.”
Currently under the care of a young person’s centre in Toulouse, Alex is poised to return to the UK within hours. However, authorities from the Greater Manchester Police emphasized the complexity of the situation, stating, “This is a complex and long-running investigation, and we need to make further inquiries as well as put appropriate safeguarding measures in place.” The circumstances surrounding Alex’s disappearance and his sudden reappearance remain under investigation as efforts continue to ensure his well-being upon his return.
