‘World’s Most Famous Missing Tourist’ Remains Unaccounted for Even a Decade After Disappearance
A football fan vanished into oblivion in Bulgaria and became the 'world's most famous missing tourist.' This moniker came into being after news of Lars Mittank's disappearance went viral, LADBible reported. The missing case attracted so many eyeballs because of the strange turn of events that led to the Werder Bremen aficionado's mysterious situation. The German native was set to come out of Bulgaria on July 8, 2014, but an alleged fight derailed this plan and changed his entire course of life. To this date, the man remains unaccounted for, despite the best efforts of authorities.
Lars Mittank's fight
Lars Mittank went on a trip with five friends to Bulgaria, news.com.au reported. He was just 28 years old at that time and got into a tiff with other German nationals while drinking in Varna. The other group were allegedly fans of Bayern Munich, rival FC of Werder Bremen, LADBible reported. The fight happened on July 6, and the very same night he was beat up by some goons. Mittank alleged that the men were hired by the followers of Bayern Munich, with whom he disagreed. Mittank was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Missing flight
The doctor noted that Lars Mittank had suffered damage to his jaw and also ruptured an eardrum, LADBible reported. Mittank was advised to avoid travel by airplane, because of his injuries. Mittank's friends wanted to stay behind but were urged by him to stick to the schedule. The football fan booked a cheap hotel near the airport, to stay while waiting for clearance. Certain events reportedly happened with Mittank during this time, that made him very scared for his life.
Chilling call
The 28-year-old called his mother from the hotel and claimed that some people were following him, LADBible reported. He added that these folks wanted to kill him, and requested his mother to cancel all his credit cards. Sandra Mittank was overwhelmed by the call and thought that her son was in a life-threatening situation. "I thought, God, my son is in danger. I could hear his heart pounding over the phone. He said people were trying to rob him or kill him," she said. The following day Lars Mittank called his mother again and said that those people were close to reaching him. The hotel's cameras captured him pacing up and down in the establishment. At one point he was also seen hiding in the lift.
Last appearance
On July 8, Lars Mittank messaged his mother for the last time, informing her that he was at the airport, LADBible reported. He had also allegedly visited a doctor, who cleared him to board a flight. The doctor, Kosta Kostoc claimed that the man was nervous and erratic, and while going out shouted that he did not want to die. He had abandoned all his personal belongings in the hotel. The footage of him rushing out of the airport became viral, with people being astounded by the mysterious story of his disappearance. This footage was the last time, the man was spotted in public. The Mittank family still holds hope for his coming back, news.com.au reported. In 2016, Brazil police had a breakthrough when a man matching Lars Mittank's features was captured on cameras. The man turned out to be a missing Canadian aid worker. Lars Mittank's ultimate fate is yet to be discovered by authorities. “There’s a good chance he’ll come back. He just needs my help,” Sandra Mittank shared.