Romanian tourist who went missing for four days after Tube train doors shut on his son survived on just £20…and still had £3 left!
- Vasile Belea, 63, was last seen at Stockwell underground station in London
- He was found in the Southall area of west London at 10.45pm yesterday
- He has been reunited with his family, the Metropolitan Police said
A Romanian tourist who vanished after he got separated from his son on the Tube survived on just £17 for four days in central London.
Vasile Belea, 63, was last seen at Stockwell underground station in south London at around 10am on Tuesday, but was found in the Southall area of west London at around 10.45pm yesterday.
His daughter-in-law Olimpia Belea told MailOnline he had tried to approach police twice before he gave up but eventually got to Acton Police Station who called his family.
Reunited: Vasile Belea with his two children, Alina and Ciprian, back at home after four days
Family: Mr Belea is pictured (right) with his two children - Ciprian (centre) and Alina (left) - on Sunday at the Science Museum
She said: 'Everyone he met was very kind to him but they didn't realize he was a missing person. He approached police twice in the first day but they didn't understand him and he gave up approaching them.
'He saw his picture in the Metro newspaper and managed to get to the Police last night.'
'Resourceful': His daughter in law said he survived by walking at night and sleeping in the day
Speaking to the MailOnline today, she said Mr Belea had survived by sleeping in shops during the day and wandering the streets and sheltering in bus stops overnight.
'He is very resourceful,' she added, 'he was very sure he would find his way back home.
'He stayed in shops where it was warm during the day and the second day he found a betting shop and they let him stay on an armchair until they closed at 10pm.
'During the night, he walked to stay awake and he moved between bus shelters. He is an extraordinary person.'
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Mrs Belea said he told them people had assumed he was homeless and were very kind to him.
She said: 'People helped him. He said "I love London - everyone is very kind.'
Mr Belea was travelling into central London with his son but went missing after they became separated on the north-bound platform when the younger man got on to a train, and the doors closed before his father could join him.
He speaks little English, was not carrying any medication for his arthritis, and had an iPhone but no SIM card.
Mr Belea, who had an Oyster card and only £20 when he went missing, had come to the UK to spend Christmas with his son. He still had £3 of the original £20 note left after four days of being on his own in the city.
Vasile Belea - described by his family as 'incredibly loving with a warm heart' - is now reunited with his family who were panic-stricken at his disappearance.
Found: Vasile Belea, 63, who was last seen at Stockwell Tube station in south London at 10am on Tuesday was found safe and well in the Southall area of west London at around 10.45pm yesterday
Mrs Belea told MailOnline on Thursday: ‘They changed from the Northern line to Victoria line at Stockwell.
'My husband entered the tube the doors closed quickly and my father-in-law stayed outside.
'My husband tried to make some signs to say “stay there”. But my father-in-law probably took the next train. He was visiting and he doesn’t speak English properly.’
Mrs Belea said he went missing on his birthday, and had been to church on Tuesday morning with his son to celebrate. The pair were on their way back home when they became separated.
Appeal: CCTV footage of Mr Belea was released to try to trace the 63-year-old man
Mr Belea was travelling into central London with his son but went missing after they became separated on the north-bound platform at Stockwell tube station
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