73-year-old man found alive by cyclists on Veluwe after days-long search

A 73-year-old man from Wezep who had been missing since Thursday on the Veluwe was found alive on Sunday by a group of attentive cyclists between Heerde and Wezep, ending an extensive search operation involving police, search teams, dogs, and volunteers.

Authorities say the man is being checked in a hospital and is believed to be in generally good condition, though possibly hypothermic, RTL reports.

Search teams, including SAR Nederland, deployed personnel and tracking dogs to locate him over the weekend. On Sunday morning at around 7 a.m., roughly twenty searchers resumed operations after efforts had been suspended the previous evening. The search was halted around 10 p.m. on Saturday because of safety concerns related to wildlife activity in the area, including wild boar with young, as well as wolves and deer.

Despite renewed efforts on Sunday, the man was ultimately discovered not by search teams but by a group of cyclists passing through the wooded terrain between Heerde and Wezep. Emergency services were alerted, and the man was taken for medical evaluation.

Officials said it remains unclear where he spent the days and nights while missing or how he managed to survive in the outdoor conditions.

A spokesperson for SAR Nederland previously described him as a fit individual and expressed expectations that he would likely still be alive during the search.