So Where Do You Think He’s Been?

Posted on December 3, 2007 in Strange

An interesting niblet from The Guardian:

A canoeist who disappeared off the North Yorkshire coast more than five years ago and was presumed drowned has walked into a London police station and identified himself to officers.

John Darwin, a married father of two and former prison officer, was thought to be dead in 2002 when his shattered red canoe washed up on the beach below his clifftop home in Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool.

Darwin, 51 at the time, had last been seen setting off heading for rocks opposite his home at about 9am on March 21. He was reported missing when he failed to turn up for the night shift at neighbouring Holme House prison, sparking a 16-hour search along the coast involving police and coastguard teams, aircraft, nine lifeboats and a Royal Navy ship.

A paddle was found and weeks later the wreckage of Darwin’s canoe washed up.

At 5.30pm on Saturday, Darwin identified himself to officers at a police station in central London. Where he has been in the intervening years remains a mystery.

A few months after his disappearance, Mrs. Darwin said “All I want is to bury his body.” Now Mr. Darwin must tremble at the thought of the Victorian’s worst nightmare to be enacted once she returns from Australia and gets her hands on him.

Just where do you think he’s been?