The long-lost 11-year-old skateboarder, Alex Batty, has resurfaced after a mysterious six-year disappearance.
The British teenager, who vanished without a trace, recently broke his silence and shared the harrowing details.
Alex's reappearance came as a shock to his family and the authorities. His sudden disappearance at the age of 11 left his mother devastated and desperate for answers.
However, the 17-year-old skateboarder has now come forward, explaining how he just decided to leave.
It turns out that Alex ran away from home after a heated argument with his mother, who he described as "anti-vax" and living a hippie lifestyle that he found to be a "pain in the ass."
In a heartbreaking letter to his mom, he wrote, "Don't worry about me," a phrase that fueled his family's worry and confusion during the years of his absence.
The teenager ended up in France, a country far from his hometown in Britain. The details of how he managed to travel and sustain himself during these six years remain unclear.
On the night of Dec. 11, while his mother was in bed at the farmhouse where they had been staying in France’s Aude region, Alex placed four T-shirts, three pairs of trousers, a skateboard, flashlight, 100 euros and a Swiss Army Knife into a backpack and headed out.
Before taking off, the teenage skater left a farewell note for his mother, in which he explained his decision.
“Hey mum I want you to know I love you very much,” read the note, which was obtained by the Sun. “I am very thankful for the life that you provided for me over the past few years."
“Don’t worry about yourself I am sure you won’t get found. Don’t worry about me either, you know I can take care of myself. I love you very much, don’t be too mad with me. Love Alex.”
According to the BBC, The skater boy is now at a young person’s center in Toulouse and may return to the UK with police and other officials.
Hence, a criminal investigation has been launched into the alleged abduction. Authorities in France said last week that they thought his mother, Melanie Batty, could be in Finland and that his grandfather, David Batty, appeared to have died, but neither of those details seemed clear after the teen gave his first interview.