Is 'Lucky' the Canadian Who Vanished in 1993? Amsterdam Mystery Man Sparks New Lead

Dutch police are investigating a mysterious man known only as 'Lucky' after a potential Canadian connection sparked a renewed search for his identity.

The man collapsed on a street in Amsterdam on 10 May 2023 and was taken to hospital after suffering what doctors determined was a brain haemorrhage or stroke. The incident left him with aphasia, a condition that can affect a person's ability to speak, read, write and understand language.

Three years later, authorities still do not know who he is. The case has now attracted international attention after police discovered that people in Amsterdam sometimes referred to the unidentified man as 'Chris the Canadian.' Following a public appeal, police said they had received more than 500 tips from members of the public.

Why Police Think 'Lucky' Could Be Canadian

Amsterdam police say their investigation began with efforts to trace the man's social connections and establish where he had been living and whom he knew.

The investigation eventually revealed that 'Lucky' had been part of a Buddhist community on Middenweg in Amsterdam. Investigators also learned that he occasionally visited Soep en Zo, a restaurant at Waterlooplein, where people reportedly knew him by the nickname 'Chris the Canadian.'

According to police spokesperson Marijke Stor, people who knew him said he spoke with what they described as an American or Canadian accent. That has led investigators to believe that the man could potentially have links to North America, although police have stressed that they cannot confirm he is Canadian.

'The theory that he might be from America or Canada, that's a theory we think could be really possible,' Stor said.

The possibility has become particularly important because investigators are hoping to reconnect the man with relatives or people who knew him before his illness.

Could 'Lucky' Be A Missing Canadian?

One of the biggest questions surrounding the case is whether 'Lucky' could be a person who disappeared from Canada decades ago.

The mystery has prompted comparisons with long-term missing-person cases, particularly because investigators have so little information about his identity. However, there is currently no confirmation that 'Lucky' is a Canadian missing person or that he vanished in 1993.

Police have not publicly established a birth name, nationality or date of disappearance for the man.

His communication difficulties have also made the investigation considerably harder. 'Lucky' can reportedly say a small number of English words, including 'nonsense,' 'definitely' and 'positive,' which he sometimes uses to indicate agreement or disagreement.

Investigators have tried communicating with him in several ways, including asking questions verbally, using speech computers and having him point to locations and letters on maps. However, they remain uncertain about how much he understands.

He is currently living in a nursing facility where he receives care, but police say he spends much of his time alone.

'Social Investigation'

The investigation is not being treated as a criminal case. Instead, authorities describe it as a 'social investigation' aimed at discovering who the man is and, potentially, reconnecting him with people who care about him.

Canadian authorities are aware of the efforts. The RCMP said it is aware of reports concerning an individual with possible Canadian connections and that it works with international law enforcement through INTERPOL NCB Ottawa and its liaison officer programme.

For now, 'Lucky' remains without a confirmed identity. But with hundreds of tips arriving following the public appeal, investigators hope someone in Canada or elsewhere will recognise the mystery man and finally help answer the question that has followed him for years: who is 'Lucky'?