Ben Ross, who had been missing, has been found alive, his family said this evening. The 26-year-old trainee solicitor from Wigan, Greater Manchester, vanished while taking a break from his studies in Palma City, Majorca.
Ross was left alone after being robbed during a beach visit, leaving him with no money, no phone and no way to contact anyone, according to his mother, Felix Robinson. His disappearance has been attributed to a “series of unfortunate events” by friends and family. His mother had previously mentioned a text message from her son that suggested he was not in the right frame of mind. Missing since July 10, he turned up at the British consulate in Palma “gutted but alive”, his family confirmed.
In a statement posted on an online fundraiser set up to help with the search for her son, Felix expressed gratitude for the support received and said the family were now focused on “getting Ben back to full health”. She said: “I am incredibly grateful for all the help and support we have received. Everyone has been truly amazing. We are so relieved to have found him and are now focused on getting him back to full health and getting him home safe and sound,” the Mirror reports.
Carla Speight, the organiser of the GoFundMe page, announced that Ben had been reunited with his “incredibly relieved” mother earlier today. She wrote: “Today Ben was at the British Consulate in Palma de Mallorca and met Felix who is incredibly relieved to see his son and be able to hold him.”
Ms Speight said the family intended to obtain an emergency passport for Ben, who will be repatriated after recovering from “dehydration and exhaustion”. She added: “At this time, Felix and his family ask for some privacy while they bring Ben home and regain his strength. They would like to thank the press, media and public for all their support in the search for Ben.”
The family are currently focused on securing an emergency passport and stabilising Ben’s health so he can travel after treatment for dehydration and exhaustion. The fundraiser set up for Ben’s family raised £3,857 but has now closed. All proceeds will be donated to Andy’s Man Club charity once Ben is safely back home.