Michael Hewitt: Missing England Fan Found Blissfully Drinking In A Pub

Recently, an international manhunt ended when missing person Michael Hewitt was located. It didn’t involve any SWAT team or drastic hostage units to find and free him, either.

Instead of international police dragging ponds or flying around in helicopters, it all ended peacefully with a guy in a pub enjoying a pint of beer. Read on for more details. 

The Missing Man

Michael is a 65-year-old die-hard Leeds United fan, and for ten days, he was listed as a missing person. However, he didn’t even know he was missing. So, his days a passed without any fear or guilt.

Hewitt is affectionally known to his friends as “Little Mick,” and he left the UK  on June 20. His travel plans seemed simple enough and included flying to Barcelona for a quick layover, then catching a connecting flight to Boston to watch England play Ghana in the World Cup.

He checked in with his family on June 21. Then after that, he went totally silent. The family heard nothing more from him. There were no texts or phone calls at all. Plus, he didn’t share anything about his journey on social media.  

The Family Panicked 

Naturally, his family panicked. They contacted the police. Before long, Interpol was involved and even the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office joined in the missing person search.

His brother, Gary, later admitted the family was “desperately wanted an embarrassingly simple but happy ending to this horrendous episode.”

Passport, Cash, & Chaos

Here’s what actually happened: Michael Hewitt lost his phone almost immediately after landing in Spain.

It wasn’t just a phone, though, as like so many others today, it was his digital lifeline. His flight tickets, his contacts, his entire itinerary, were all gone and  without it, he couldn’t access his travel plans. So, he did what any self-respecting football fan would do in a crisis. He stayed.

He found a few local bars showing the tournament. As you do, Michael Hewitt watched the football matches on the screen, and he also enjoyed the Spanish sun. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was trying to find him and hoping he wouldn’t turn up dead. 

A Reliable Report

While it might sound way out there, it isn’t really, because it actually happened. “He didn’t think to go to the Embassy as he still had his passport and money, so didn’t think they’d be interested,” Gary said per Marca.com.

Honestly? You have to respect the logic. Passport? In the pocket. Cash? In the wallet. Problem? What problem? Obviously, it worried his family, but delighted football fans saw the funny side of it. 

The Leeds United Connection

The breakthrough didn’t come from high-tech surveillance. It came from a shirt. That happened when an off-duty British police officer, also holidaying in Barcelona, walked into a pub and spotted Mick. Both men happened to be wearing Leeds United jerseys.

Reportedly, they did the traditional club salute, exchanged a quick nod, and went about their day.

According to The Telepgraph, it wasn’t until the officer got back to his hotel room and saw the frantic missing person appeals, that the penny dropped.

Wait a minute, he thought. That’s the bloke from the pub.

Mick was “blissfully unaware” of the chaos. He’d just been watching football, drinking cold beer, and occasionally wondering about not having a phone.

Fans React On Social Media

When the Wasted Instagram account shared the story over the holiday weekend, the comment section brought lots of quips and giggles. One person commented, “Soccer is such a boring sport he probably fell asleep and had no idea he was missing.”

Here are a few more amusing responses from the discussion that followed:

• My Man was just chilling and drinking some beers.
• man survived an international manhunt by simply staying at the pub.
• He didn’t want to be found lmaoooo.
• I want to run away and get lost in Barcelona.

One commenter channeled their inner Karl Pilkington: “Never mind your beard, where have you been for three days?”

Fans from around the world  got it immediately. It’s the best sort of dream, isn’t it? Disappearing from the grid, completely guilt-free, because you genuinely don’t know anyone is looking for you.

The Happy Ending

Mick is safe and his family got their happy ending. And no, he isn’t rushing home. He’s staying in Barcelona to watch England’s next match. Because, of course he is.

It makes you think: how many of us are just one dropped smartphone away from disappearing entirely? 

This 4th of July weekend, it might be fun to raise a toast to Michael Hewitt, the man who solved an international manhunt for himself by simply ordering another round.

What do you think? Shout out in the comments below, and come back here often for all your fun stories, news and updates.