Laurence Dollimore
A PENSIONER ‘trapped’ in a hospital in Spain after suffering from stroke-induced amnesia is yet to be identified.
An appeal has been launched after the 71-year-old, named only as Stephen, woke up in hospital in Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca, not knowing who he is or where he lives.
The cyclist was travelling on his bike in Alicante province on September 24 when he suffered a stroke. He can only remember his first name and cannot recall any family members or relatives.
Meanwhile, no one has reported him missing, complicating the police investigation.
A potential break in the case came at the weekend when former friends of an ‘avid cyclist’ from Cambridgeshire insisted the man in the photo was Steve Presland.
An old picture of Presland showed an uncanny resemblance, with many recognising the man in hospital as him.
However, the theory was seemingly put to rest on Monday after a member of the Ely Running Club said they had tracked down Presland in the UK.
They told the Olive Press: “Steve Presland has just called me back and said that it is not him in your article, sorry!”
The Olive Press has requested to speak to Presland directly.
Stephen suffered a stroke while cycling on a road between the towns of San Fulgencio and La Marina.
He is still recovering in a hospital in Torrevieja but is struggling with amnesia (memory loss).
He asked for his photo and story to be published in the hopes that someone will recognise him and tell him where he lives, or any details about his life.
In an appeal on social media, the Policia Local force in San Fulgencio said: “We request your help in identifying the man in the photo.
“Due to an error, we have not been able to correctly identify him, so we ask that anyone who believes they can provide any information of interest to contact the Police on +34 696 465 481.”
