‘Wealthy’ man’s identity is still completely unknown despite spending three years in hospital
Dutch investigators have launched an appeal to try to identify a man believed to have suffered from a stroke or brain haemorrhage.
In May 2023, a man was rushed to hospital in Amsterdam after collapsing on the street.
He has remained under medical care for the past three years, as doctors state that he is unable to communicate his identity due to aphasia, a brain condition which impacts a person's ability to speak, read and write. The man, whose exact age is not known, is also stated to lack capacity to make informed decisions for himself.
It's believed the condition developed after an injury or trauma to the brain, most likely a stroke or brain haemorrhage.
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The man's difficulty with communication - alongside the fact that he was carrying no form of ID at the time of hospital admission - means that doctors have been unable to confirm his identity or reach out to next of kin.
Anyone with information about the man's possible identity is asked to come forward to Amsterdam police.
Appeal launched to establish man's identity
Dutch Police are now seeking to establish the man's identity and reach out to his next of kin, launching an appeal to track down any friends or family members.
Posted to their website earlier this week, the appeal explained that all previous inquiries had come to a dead end, with two retired members from the force's Cold Case team now leading the search to find the man's family.
Here's what is known at the moment.
The man may be a Canadian or American national
Following an investigation into the man's social life, lead officers Ruud and Nel were able to establish that the man frequented a soup shop named Soep en Zo in the city's Waterlooplein district.
It is here that investigators discovered the man was referred to as 'Chris the Canadian', this is because the man was known to only communicate in English and had an accent which placed him as from one of the two countries.
His limited communication has also been in English, with the only words used by him being 'nonsense' and 'definitely' to confirm or deny something.
Shop workers also suggested that the man may be 'extremely wealthy', noting that he always had money on him, despite a dishevelled appearance, according to MailOnline.
Despite wandering the streets of Amsterdam, the man is believed to be wealthy (Getty Stock Images)
He has also been referred to as 'Lucky'
Investigations have also linked the man to a Buddhist community in the city, where he was known to others as 'Lucky'.
He is also said to have used the names 'Louis', 'Lee', 'John', 'Ponytail' and 'Sonny', however no one knew his actual identity.
According to Dutch News, the man may previously have spent some time in Nepal.
DNA matches are not on Dutch databases
Another clue regarding the man's origins is that he does not show up on DNA databases or through facial recognition technologies. Police have been unable to access wider databases due to privacy rules.
"I simply cannot believe that nobody knows who this man really is," Nel said of the case. "Isn’t it strange that you could perhaps live under the radar in the Netherlands for twenty years?"
"Every person has the right to an identity, and that includes this man," added Ruud.
Topics: World News, Health, Mental Health
Brenna Cooper