Boater Appears, 5 Years Later, Sans Memory

Canoeist presumed dead; his wife moved to Panama 4 weeks ago
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 3, 2007 7:03 PM CST
Boater Appears, 5 Years Later, Sans Memory
In this undated image released by Britain's Cleveland police Monday Dec. 3, 2007, John Darwin, who was reported missing more than five years ago, is seen at an unknown location. The last trace of Darwin was the wreckage of his canoe, which washed up on a beach in northern England. He turned up in London...   (Associated Press)

A man who was presumed dead five years ago, when he failed to return from a canoeing trip, showed up in London today, the Daily Mail reports. John Darwin, 57 and able to remember only his name, walked into a police station saying: "I think I am a missing person." Oddly enough, Darwin’s wife sold the family home and emigrated to Panama only four weeks ago.

A science teacher for 18 years, Darwin was working as a prison officer when he was thought to have drowned, after the remains of his canoe washed up on a beach, in March, 2002. Attempts to contact his wife via the UK embassy have been unsuccessful. But Darwin’s father said he will be “over the moon” to see his son again. “I will tell him, 'Well done', and I want to find out what's happened to him." (More missing boater stories.)

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