A construction worker who had been reported missing spent several hours helping a search party look for himself, according to reports.
Beyhan Mutlu, 54, disappeared after a night of drinking with friends in Inegöl, in Turkey’s Bursa province.
His relatives became concerned when he did not return home. His wife was unable to reach him on his mobile phone, prompting fears for his safety.
Officials were told that Mutlu’s friends had lost track of him after he wandered into a nearby forest.
According to Turkish outlet Daily Sabah, his disappearance was reported after contact was lost. A search party was then organised to comb the wooded area.
Mutlu, who was unaware he had been reported missing, joined the group of volunteers searching through the forest.
The search continued for several hours during the night. At one point, a member of the search team reportedly shouted Mutlu’s name into the darkness.
It was then that Mutlu realised the group was searching for him. “Who are we looking for? I am here,” he reportedly said.
Realisation ends the search
Speaking later to Daily Sabah, Mutlu said the situation was unnecessary.
He explained that there was “really no need” for his friends to report him missing. “Basically, I’m paying for my friends’ mistakes,” he said. “What happened is all like a joke.”
After the confusion was cleared up, authorities took a statement from Mutlu. Police later gave him a lift home, according to reports. No injuries were reported, and the search was officially called off.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past. The Times noted a comparable case in Iceland in 2012.
In that incident, an Asian tourist reported missing was later found among the volunteers searching for her.
She had failed to recognise that the description being circulated matched her own.
Featured image credit: NTV & TGRT Haber TV
