Bulgaria - Lars Mittank, 28, German tourist, Varna airport, 8 July 2014

[DakotaMayi]

One thing that bothers me after seeing the video is a seeming discrepancy - Lars did not want to get surgery in Varna, yet he did expect to be admitted to the hospital. That does not make a lot of sense to me. His mom was also wondering why Lars said they would not let him drive/ride. She said she expected the dr to say no to flying, but did not understand why Lars also said he wasn't allowed to drive (fahren).

I can’t work out why Lars would be so desperate to leave BG and this causes him to refuse the surgery but then he is surprised when they do not allow him to stay in the hospital. Why would they allow him to stay there if he was refusing the procedure? There was no need. An perforated eardrum is no reason to be staying in a hospital bed. It sounds to me like he wasn’t thinking straight at all. Even at that point.

I still do find it rather odd that someone just walked into a drs office where he was busy seeing a patient. That person must have known the dr and the dr him - I wish we knew more about him.

It thought this too, Janet. I would be mortified if I was at a private doctors appoint and someone just walked all nonchalant.

Hi guys. I just wanted to stop in and say I've been spreading Lars' missing poster around to truckers and any cars I see with license plates from Poland, Romania, Bulgaria etc... Sometimes (if there's no language barrier) I give them a small pile so they can spread them when they get back there. I'm hoping something will come of it. I haven't been doing much else about this (or any) case other than that, because I have to take care of myself a bit. Not doing too great and 'thinking' is quite the chore right now. But, printing and handing out I can do.

I hope you are still here with us, JanetElaine. Your posts are invaluable.

 

[DakotaMayi]

Thank you for translating so far. My native language is Dutch and my German is quite good, but someone who speaks native German could do a much better job.

Isn't it strange that if he had a girlfriend they didn't had any contact during his vacation? Even when is didn't feel ok? (Maybe there was contact with a girlfriend, but she didn't want to get involved in the media circus) Who would you call in what kind of situation? For money things possibly mom...being afraid for some guys?... mom? Not feeling ok? ... I don't know. When you are 28 wouldn't you call your girlfriend if you had one instead of your mother? You get my point I guess. Just pondering.... Of course I could answer all my one questions from my perspective but I'm just curious what you all think in relation to a possible girlfriend.

Maybe he just didn’t want to appear weak to his girlfriend.

For the record.

The other day I send the mother of Lars this picture https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...44349153076.1073741827.100007125765980&type=3

somebody posted from the Ukraine. She said she was aware of this man and that is was not Lars.

I honestly can’t believe that’s not Lars. The face. The hair. The red tint to his beard.

 

[DakotaMayi]

I also think that while Bulgaria may not have a very strong social support net, a good-looking, seemingly confused person, who does not speak the local language, would draw the attention of the authorities fairly quickly. Cops on the streets usually know the homeless people in their area. Lars would stick out. I think he tried to hitch-hike home, and just never arrived, sadly.

RSBM.

I wouldn’t think he would stick out. Germany is only a stones throw from Bulgaria. Especially if he moved a considerable distance inland and away from Varna. Sofia has a lot of “expats”.

I also don’t think he was trying to hitch hike home. He had a perfectly good, paid for route home at Varna airport and he ran from it. I don’t think he intentionally wants to be away from home but I don’t think he is in his right frame of mind enough to try and get there again.

 

[DakotaMayi]

Soooo sorry for my incessant posting. I just got through the whole thread, I’m done now :lol:

Do we know if Lars speaks any other languages other than German? I assume he didn’t speak Bulgarian given the BG/RUS confusion.

Do we know which side of the head his ear perforation was on?

 

[Brainy]

RS&BBM

I find it strange that one doctor would tell him it’s safe to fly and then another doctor tells him he shouldn’t fly for 10 days. You are always going to get different answers from different people but that’s extreme.

So, the four men that were following him were the BM fans that had supposedly attacked him before? They weren’t just new people from Hotel Color? Or is that not considered confirmed?



Interesting that thisseems to be the only article that suggest his ear injury could be fatal if hedecides to fly. Did we ever see any other articles stating this along the way?These cases are made so much more difficult when languages overlap like this.



Yes, it absolutely is given that we have no idea if what he told everyone aboutthe fight and people following him is even true.

Difference in doctors' opinion is not strange at all. If Lars had head injury with no signs and shmptoms, then I could completely understand why one of the physicians would say it's okay to fly. Another doctor would recommend to take precautions, such as not flying right away. Some of the manifestations of a head injury are not immediate. This doctor could simply recommend this for safety and further monitoring to ensure nothing out of ordinary happens.


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[DakotaMayi]

Difference in doctors' opinion is not strange at all. If Lars had head injury with no signs and shmptoms, then I could completely understand why one of the physicians would say it's okay to fly. Another doctor would recommend to take precautions, such as not flying right away. Some of the manifestations of a head injury are not immediate. This doctor could simply recommend this for safety and further monitoring to ensure nothing out of ordinary happens.


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With all due respect, that is your opinion. It is my opinion that not enough time had past for there to be such a dramatic change in advance. I would expect a difference in advice between two different doctors but not one that says go ahead and fly and one that says you must stay in BG for 10 days. Bit extreme.

 

[Brainy]

With all due respect, that is your opinion. It is my opinion that not enough time had past for there to be such a dramatic change in advance. I would expect a difference in advice between two different doctors but not one that says go ahead and fly and one that says you must stay in BG for 10 days. Bit extreme.

You can conclude whatever you want to conclude - it's totally up to you. I share this as I work in the medical field and can tell you upfront that head injuries aren't predictable at all just like many other illnesses and their manifestations in different people. Yes, and you like it or not sometimes a physician's opinion or recommendation may not be best suiting to the situation. A physician is not a magician or a prophet to be 100% correct in all instances. They are just people trained in medicine doing being best to address, diagnose and treat problems.


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[DakotaMayi]

You can conclude whatever you want to conclude - it's totally up to you. I share this as I work in the medical field and can tell you upfront that head injuries aren't predictable at all just like many other illnesses and their manifestations in different people. Yes, and you like it or not sometimes a physician's opinion or recommendation may not be best suiting to the situation. A physician is not a magician or a prophet to be 100% correct in all instances. They are just people trained in medicine doing being best to address, diagnose and treat problems.


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But that's not at all what I was referring to. I was thinking of it in a way that Lars might have been given some off pills by a doctor or be involved in keeping him in the country. In that instance, the "people trained in medicine" would not be doing the best to address or diagnose anything.

 

[Brainy]

But that's not at all what I was referring to. I was thinking of it in a way that Lars might have been given some off pills by a doctor or be involved in keeping him in the country. In that instance, the "people trained in medicine" would not be doing the best to address or diagnose anything.

What I am thinking is that Lars had a head injury, had inner ear bleed (hence cefuroxime being given to prevent further bleeding and infecfion). Went to the doctor. The physician perhaps didn't see any signs or any oddities in his behavior. Otherwis, Lars was a healthy looking young male. I don't know if they ever referred Lars to a specialist or did any further tests, so I'll be careful conducting assessment about the physician's competence when I don't even know who he/she was. Some medical interventions are implemented based on the urgency of the matter or based on clinical manifestations. I can totally see him being given the cefuroxime, physician doing a neuro check and then telling Lars to check back later. This is completely possible.


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[DakotaMayi]

What I am thinking is that Lars had a head injury, had inner ear bleed (hence cefuroxime being given to prevent further bleeding and infecfion). Went to the doctor. The physician perhaps didn't see any signs or any oddities in his behavior. Otherwis, Lars was a healthy looking young male. I don't know if they ever referred Lars to a specialist or did any further tests, so I'll be careful conducting assessment about the physician's competence when I don't even know who he/she was. Some medical interventions are implemented based on the urgency of the matter or based on clinical manifestations. I can totally see him being given the cefuroxime, physician doing a neuro check and then telling Lars to check back later. This is completely possible.


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Could be that. Or it could be something weird. I'm just stating the different options we have.

 

[DakotaMayi]

In this article it states the following:

В поредното телефонно обаждане младежът съобщава, че се е скарал с футболни фенове на "Байерн" и че кредитната му карта е блокирана. Късно през нощта на 7 срещу 8 юли Сандра Митанк прави неуспешен опит да деблокира картата, за да може синът й да си купи онлайн билети за предстоящото пътуване.

This basically states that instead of Lars paying for the room at Hotel Color and then asking his Mom to block the card because he didn't want to stay and pay, it says the he called his Mom, told her about the fight and that his credit card and become blocked and that his Mom then tried, unsuccessfully, to get the card unblocked for him so he could buy tickets to get home.

It's probably just another misprint but I thought I would point it out.

http://www.crimes.bg/%D0%BA%D1%80%D0...%BD%D0%BA.html

 

[neesaki]

Ok, now I have a few douzens of sources to check.

But it wasn't about eardrums as much as about that doctor at the airport, if I'm recalling correctly it was somewhere in his statements abour Lars condition.

_______________________________
Here:
http://www.crimes.bg/криминално/7626-изгубен-ли-случаят-намери-ларс-митанк.html

From this article... I don't remember reading this before: (translated to English)

[FONT=&amp]A version shared by Velislav Bonev, manager of the BSA - Bodyguard and Security Association, charged with the private investigation by Lars' relatives, states that during the alcoholic tours, probably without notice, he has consumed a synthetic drug with prolonged action "this is no exception, said Bonev. According to the information we have, Lars is not used drugs before. it was also addicted to alcohol. He had a steady job in power, had normal for his age behavior. it is in such cf. ai however, by taking synthetic drugs can get the effect of the so-called. frying. When it unlocks paranoid drug reactions and lead to prolonged depression and anxiety disorders. "[/FONT]​

I don't remember this either that the last time he was seen he was 90 km from Varna, that's about 55 miles.

[FONT=&amp]Due to the persistent search by the District Police Directorate in Varna, they also refuse any information about its course. "We work in good cooperation with the police because, as a private company, we are more operational, and as state authorities they have investigative methods that we do not have," says Velika Bonev, manager of BAS and Bodyguard Associa- tion. Important information has already been collected, but we can not communicate at this stage. " According to the Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sofia, Thomas Heling, the silence of the case does not in any way mean that the search for Lars Mitank has stopped. "In no case is he forgotten, but agree, magicians are only in fairy tales," said the consul. In support of Lars' search, Friends created a Facebook group called Findet Lars Mittank. It lists electronic addresses and phone numbers where witness information about its location can be provided. According to latest information, the missing Lars was spotted 90 km from Varna. This is stated in a film on the case broadcast on Sunday (August 31st) by the RTL television channel. However, it does not specify either the date when Mintank was seen, nor the settlement where this happened. [/FONT]​

 

[DakotaMayi]

From this article... I don't remember reading this before: (translated to English)


I don't remember this either that the last time he was seen he was 90 km from Varna, that's about 55 miles.

Thanks for posting, neesaki. I didn't have time to read the rest of the article earlier. Again, the information seems to be a bit of a mess.
So, 90km is roughly 55 miles. It's painfully frustrating that we don't know when or exactly where this happened.


This is a 55 mile radius of Varna:
A pretty big scope (depending on when this was) not a million miles from Plovdiv. I might put together a map that we can all work with.

 

[Gottlieb]

RSBM.

I wouldn’t think he would stick out. Germany is only a stones throw from Bulgaria. Especially if he moved a considerable distance inland and away from Varna. Sofia has a lot of “expats”.

I also don’t think he was trying to hitch hike home. He had a perfectly good, paid for route home at Varna airport and he ran from it. I don’t think he intentionally wants to be away from home but I don’t think he is in his right frame of mind enough to try and get there again.

He does not speak the language. He can't even read the road signs, because they are written in cyrillic. He can only ask for directions in a foreign language. Of course he would stick out. You cannot pick up the language in a few weeks while living on the streets. There is no way he could disguised himself as a native Bulgarian. I read the cyrillic alphabet but still stood out as a tourist when I was on holiday in Bulgaria. Every time I made contact with locals they noticed that I am not Bulgarian, because I don't speak Bulgarian. That's how languages work. You can spend years living in a country, you can learn the language on a very high level but you will still never be mistaken for a local by another locals.

ETA: Don't take it personally, but I don't understand your expression "stones throw" - you have to cross four or five other countries to get from Germany to Bulgaria, depending on the route. Basically, you travel 2000 kms to the other end of Europe. No, it's not a "stones throw" away.

 

[DakotaMayi]

He does not speak the language. He can't even read the road signs, because they are written in cyrillic. He can only ask for directions in a foreign language. Of course he would stick out. You cannot pick up the language in a few weeks while living on the streets. There is no way he could disguised himself as a native Bulgarian. I read the cyrillic alphabet but still stood out as a tourist when I was on holiday in Bulgaria. Every time I made contact with locals they noticed that I am not Bulgarian, because I don't speak Bulgarian. That's how languages work. You can spend years living in a country, you can learn the language on a very high level but you will still never be mistaken for a local by another locals.

ETA: Don't take it personally, but I don't understand your expression "stones throw" - you have to cross four or five other countries to get from Germany to Bulgaria, depending on the route. Basically, you travel 2000 kms to the other end of Europe. No, it's not a "stones throw" away.

Well it is a stones throw in comparison to some places. I consider somewhere that's not a stones throw as a hell of a lot further than Germany to Bulgaria. You can drive there in a less than a day!

Also, I never said he could read Cryllic & yes you are quite right that it would be obvious that he is not Bulgarian but that doesn't mean he would "stick out". There are plenty of people in Bulgaria who don't speak the language nor do they read Cryllic. There are plenty of people in every country who don't speak the native language. I wouldn't consider someone who didn't speak Bulgarian while in Bulgaria as odd.
I guess I just don't think of people "sticking out" purely because they speak another language.

 

[Gottlieb]

The healthcare system isn’t as bad as some think. Especially in the big cities. In Bulgaria anyway, I don’t know about Romania or Poland. A EHIC would give him access to free healthcare but I guess he doesn’t have one of those on his person.

Well, we just had this case a few months ago - a Hungarian girl suffered an accident in Burgas and had to be treated in Bulgaria:

http://index.hu/belfold/2017/08/07/..._komaban_fekvo_fiatal_szegedi_no_kezeleseert/

The Burgas hospital did not answer the mails the Hungarian hospital wrote them about transferring the girl back home. When they finally did, they asked for a 20 000 euros "ransom" to release her. They weren't willing to share the medical information necessary for transport. The family also couldn't get any information in person, because the hospital staff didn't speak English. It was a weeks long painful debate.

I'm from Hungary and our health care system is catastrophe pure, but following this story (and from my visit to Bulgaria, which was like travelling back in time to the Hungary of my childhood in the '80s - it was a lovely experience) I did not really get the impression that the Bulgarian health care system is more advanced than ours. In best case it's on the same level, but most likely much lower. I don't mean this as an insult, just to clarify - health care (and social care) in Eastern Europe is still very, very far from Western European standards. People still die every day from conditions that are perfectly manageable in countries with more resources (financial, personal, and, yes, even ethical). "Free" healthcare unfortunately does not equal good healthcare.

 

[DakotaMayi]

Well, we just had this case a few months ago - a Hungarian girl suffered an accident in Burgas and had to be treated in Bulgaria:

http://index.hu/belfold/2017/08/07/..._komaban_fekvo_fiatal_szegedi_no_kezeleseert/

The Burgas hospital did not answer the mails the Hungarian hospital wrote them about transferring the girl back home. When they finally did, they asked for a 20 000 euros "ransom" to release her. They weren't willing to share the medical information necessary for transport. The family also couldn't get any information in person, because the hospital staff didn't speak English. It was a weeks long painful debate.

I'm from Hungary and our health care system is catastrophe pure, but following this story (and from my visit to Bulgaria, which was like travelling back in time to the Hungary of my childhood in the '80s - it was a lovely experience) I did not really get the impression that the Bulgarian health care system is more advanced than ours. In best case it's on the same level, but most likely much lower. I don't mean this as an insult, just to clarify - health care (and social care) in Eastern Europe is still very, very far from Western European standards. People still die every day from conditions that are perfectly manageable in countries with more resources (financial, personal, and, yes, even ethical). "Free" healthcare unfortunately does not equal good healthcare.

BBM.

But I did not suggest that the Bulgarian healthcare system is better than anywhere? Just that it's not as bad as some may think. But that's from my experience only.

I cannot rate the Bulgarian healthcare system from one case of one girl. Just like I can't rate a whole country on one persons opinion. I can only go off what I have experienced. I've had a good experience in other countries of their healthcare system... but I'm sure there are people who think it's not good.

We all have different opinions and different experiences when in each country. That does not mean you can tell me that I am wrong. I appreciate your opinions here and thank you for giving your insight, but I can voice mine too.

 

[DakotaMayi]

FWIW.
Hate to refer to the site that starts with an R, but looking for further information about Lars, it popped up with someone claiming to have seen a homeless type person in Ontario, who looked like Lars.
Thinking that the person they might have seen was possibly the once missing Canadian who was previously mistaken for Lars.
Still, it is good to know that people do have Lars in mind, he could be anywhere!

I'm back over at R today. I saw that the OP said that Lars was seen by the truck driver on April 5, 2015. I'm still unsure why it's not known where he took him. Surely if the truck driver divulged that much, he could tell them where he took him.

ETA. They are also discussing the affects they have experienced of Ciprofloxacin. I don't know about the differences between this and Cefuroxime 500 but Cipro definitely causes some odd behavior.

ETA for a second time:

Cefuroxime side effects

Diarrhea
Nausea
Vomiting
Jarisch/Herxheimer reaction
Allergic reactions

Serious side effects:


Hives
Trouble breathing
Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat

Ciprofloxacin Side Effects


Diarrhea
Nausea or stomach upset
White patches or sores in the mouth

SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS


Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
breathing problems
confusion, nightmares or hallucinations
feeling faint or lightheaded, falls
irregular heartbeat
joint, muscle or tendon pain or swelling
pain or trouble passing urine
persistent headache with or without blurred vision
redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
seizure
unusual pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness


https://www.healthline.com/health/cefuroxime-oral-tablet#side-effects4
https://www.healthline.com/drugs/ciprofloxacin/oral-tablet#SideEffects2

Honestly, this would make more sense if he was on Cipro.

 

[Brainy]

I'm back over at R today. I saw that the OP said that Lars was seen by the truck driver on April 5, 2015. I'm still unsure why it's not known where he took him. Surely if the truck driver divulged that much, he could tell them where he took him.

ETA. They are also discussing the affects they have experienced of Ciprofloxacin. I don't know about the differences between this and Cefuroxime 500 but Cipro definitely causes some odd behavior.

ETA for a second time:

Cefuroxime side effects

Diarrhea
Nausea
Vomiting
Jarisch/Herxheimer reaction
Allergic reactions

Serious side effects:


Hives
Trouble breathing
Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat

Ciprofloxacin Side Effects


Diarrhea
Nausea or stomach upset
White patches or sores in the mouth

SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS


Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
breathing problems
confusion, nightmares or hallucinations
feeling faint or lightheaded, falls
irregular heartbeat
joint, muscle or tendon pain or swelling
pain or trouble passing urine
persistent headache with or without blurred vision
redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
seizure
unusual pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness


https://www.healthline.com/health/cefuroxime-oral-tablet#side-effects4
https://www.healthline.com/drugs/ciprofloxacin/oral-tablet#SideEffects2

Honestly, this would make more sense if he was on Cipro.

These side affects are't very specific to cefuroxime. With all antibiotics, there is a possibility of having GI distrurbances; nausea and diarrhea are not uncommon at all. Many people lose appetite.
An allergic reaction is also seen in those taking antibiotics. If it's much more severe, signs of anaphylaxis (difficulty breathing d/t restricted airways, angioedema) may develop which would require an immediate intervention.
Cefuroxime is a cephalosporin antibiotic. Neurotoxic reaction can happen with this type of drug, and there are mentions of it in clinical literature and research. However, those who are at risk of developing neurotoxicity are usually the elderly who have a central nervous disease, renal or other type of organ dysfunction that may interfere with drug metabolism. So I find it very unlikely that Lars had a such a reaction to cefuroxime. The spectrum of behavioral manifestations isn't consistent with side effects of a drug.

 

[DakotaMayi]

These side affects are't very specific to cefuroxime. With all antibiotics, there is a possibility of having GI distrurbances; nausea and diarrhea are not uncommon at all. Many people lose appetite.
An allergic reaction is also seen in those taking antibiotics. If it's much more severe, signs of anaphylaxis (difficulty breathing d/t restricted airways, angioedema) may develop which would require an immediate intervention.
Cefuroxime is a cephalosporin antibiotic. Neurotoxic reaction can happen with this type of drug, and there are mentions of it in clinical literature and research. However, those who are at risk of developing neurotoxicity are usually the elderly who have a central nervous disease, renal or other type of organ dysfunction that may interfere with drug metabolism. So I find it very unlikely that Lars had a such a reaction to cefuroxime. The spectrum of behavioral manifestations isn't consistent with side effects of a drug.

Thanks! So in your professional opinion the drug has nothing to do with Lars behavior/disappearance? I don't think I put much weight into that anyway, I was just listing it for reference. I really do think he has had an unrelated break. I don't know what it is that you do but you should consider becoming verified.