A New Zealand man with Parkinson’s disease, who went missing in Paris for three days, has been been found in a hospital.
The family of Kurt McNamara sent out urgent appeals to the public over his disappearance in the French capital near Notre Dame around 4.30pm local time on Saturday (2.30am, Sunday NZ time) during the night of the Uefa Champions League football fan riots in Paris.
The family confirmed to the Herald this morning that he was found in hospital in Paris overnight.
Earlier, McNamara’s family released a plea to the public over his disappearance, saying he has “Parkinson’s disease and urgently needs medication and medical support”.
“He has no phone, money, identification or bank cards with him and may be confused, distressed, unable to communicate clearly or disoriented,” the family said in a message shared with the Herald.
“He also has a prosthetic leg, which affects his mobility and balance, making him a very high fall risk.
“He was last seen with a wheelchair/walking aid in the Notre Dame area of Paris several days ago (night of the Paris riots) and has not been seen since.”
New Zealander Kurt McNamara went missing on Saturday, May 30 (local time).
The message said French Police, New Zealand authorities and the NZ Embassy were involved, “but we are asking the public to please help share his photo and information as widely as possible”.
The family said they are “exhausted and worried sick”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) confirmed it is “providing assistance to a New Zealander and their family in Paris”.
“For privacy reasons no further information will be provided,” an MFAT spokesperson said.
About 219 people were reportedly injured in clashes between football fans and local police across France after Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final on Saturday.
The unrest was largest in Paris, where thousands of officers were deployed, with 57 injured.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeart app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeart is easy to use and all FREE
