In a bizarre and humorous turn of events, a man in Turkey who was reported missing ended up joining the very search party organized to find him.
The incident occurred in September 2021, in the İnegöl district of Bursa province, northwestern Turkey. Beyhan Mutlu, a 50-year-old resident, had been out drinking with friends when he wandered off into a nearby forest. His wife and friends became concerned after losing contact with him for several hours and decided to report him missing.
Authorities quickly organized a search and rescue operation, which drew help from local volunteers in nearby neighborhoods.
Unknowingly, Mutlu came across one of the search groups and decided to join in — still unaware that the mission was about him.
According to local reports, the group had been calling out his name for hours when suddenly, a man within the group responded, “Who are we looking for? I am here.”
That man was Beyhan Mutlu himself.
Once it became clear that the “missing” man had been part of the search team the whole time, police took his statement and safely escorted him home. There were no reports of any penalties or charges related to the mix-up.
While this may sound unbelievable, it’s not the only time such a situation has happened. In 2012, a tourist in Iceland reportedly joined a search for herself after failing to recognize her own description.
