1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Hello, it's Richard mccleinsmith here with a quick update before 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: we dive into today's episode. Unexplained is very excited to 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: be a part of Crime Wave at Sea this November, 4 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: joining forces with some of the eeriest voices in the 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: world of true crime and the paranormal four nights in 6 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: the Caribbean, with amazing podcasts like Last Podcast on the Left, 7 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: Scared to Death and many more live shows, meet and greets, 8 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: creepy Stories under the Stars and you can be there too, 9 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: but don't wait. Rooms are nearly sold out. Head to 10 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: Crimewave Atsea dot com forward slash Unexplained to grab your 11 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: fan coat and lock in your cabin. We'd love to 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: see you on board. It was a searingly hot July 13 00:00:55,080 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: afternoon at Varna International Airport in Bulgaria, and the terminal packed. 14 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: It was peak tourist season and the first full week 15 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: of operations since the start of the school holidays. Inside 16 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: the on site medical clinic, however, things were quiet. Doctor Kostoff, 17 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: the physician on duty, had only seen two patients that day, 18 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: a six year old boy with a twisted ankle and 19 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: a nervous woman looking for something to ease her fear 20 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: of flying. Doctor Kostoff sat at his desk watching the clock. 21 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 1: He wondered if he had enough time to nip out 22 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: and grab a cup of coffee before his next patient. 23 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: When there was a knock at the door. It was 24 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: the clinic receptionist asking if the doctor was free to 25 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: see another patient. It was a young man, she said, 26 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: who just walked in, looking a little worse for wear. 27 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: As the receptionist explained, he wanted to see a doctor 28 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: to confirm if he was well enough to fly. A 29 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: little confused by the request, doctor Kostov told the receptionist 30 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: to send him in. Moments later, the young man appeared 31 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: at the door. The doctor beckoned him in and told 32 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: him to take a seat. He looked to be in 33 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: his late twenties, tall and broad, and by all accounts 34 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: he appeared to have had a very long night and 35 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: maybe hadn't even been to bed. Doctor Kostov suspected he 36 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: knew exactly what the problem was. Farna was a popular 37 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: destination for stagdoos and large groups of young men looking 38 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: to let off steam. Clearly, this young man, with his 39 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: ghostly pale skin and deep dark circles under his eyes, 40 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: had gone a little too hard. Once he was sat down, 41 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: the young man introduced himself as Lars. It was then 42 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: that doctor Kostov noticed something else about his appearance, an 43 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: ugly purple bruise modeling the left side of his jaw. 44 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: Lars explained little sheepishly that he'd been in a bar 45 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: fight two nights ago, and that he'd ruptured his ear 46 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: drum in the process. He'd already seen one doctor about 47 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: it back in the city, who'd advised him not to 48 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: fly again until the ear drum had healed. But, as 49 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: Lars said then, this simply wasn't an option. He had 50 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: to get back to Germany immediately, and he wanted to 51 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: know just how detrimental it would be if he did 52 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: fly back today. Lars was clearly anxious about something and 53 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: begged Dr Kostoff to be as quick as he could. 54 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: Costoff agreed to take a look and asked Lars to 55 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: be still as he placed an otoscope in his ear well. 56 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: Doctor Lars demanded impatiently. Doctor Kostoff sat back, noting with 57 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: concern the way that Lars seemed unable to sit still. 58 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: He kept glancing around, his eyes darting back and forth 59 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: across the room as if scanning for threats. The doctor 60 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: asked Las if he was on any medication. Lars confirmed 61 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: that he'd been given some antibiotics by the first doctor, 62 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: although now he was beginning to suspect that drugs had 63 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: been laced by some kind of poison. Alarmed by this 64 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: possibly delusional response, doctor Kostov asked Lars to explain exactly 65 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: what he meant by that, but before Lars could say anything, 66 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,799 Speaker 1: they were interrupted by a loud knock at the office door. 67 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: As doctor Kostov got to his feet to answer it, 68 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: he noticed that Lars had now frozen completely still, his 69 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: face screwed up in terror, as though that door was 70 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: the only thing standing between him and the devil itself. 71 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: Then Lars suddenly sprang to his feet with wild eyes. 72 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: He screamed, I don't want to die here, Please, I 73 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: have to get out of here. You're listening to unexplained 74 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: and I'm Richard McLean Smith. At twenty eight years old, 75 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: Lars Mittank had never traveled outside of Germany before. Born 76 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: and raised in Berlin. In his early twenties, he settled 77 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: in the town of Itsu, who he seemed to have 78 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: everything a young man could want, a close knit family, 79 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: a loving girlfriend, and a steady job at the local 80 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: power plant. So despite being a sociable and outgoing young man, 81 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: Lars had never had much reason to venture far from home. 82 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: But in the summer of twenty fourteen, he decided to 83 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: change all that. One of Lars's old friends from high 84 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: school was organizing a week long group holiday to Golden Sands, 85 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: a beach resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, and 86 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: Lars wanted to go. The itinerary would involve flying out 87 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: of Hamburg and landing in Varna, the closest Bulgarian city 88 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 1: to the resort. It was a two and a half 89 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: hour flight, not long by most standards, but the longest 90 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: Lars had ever been on. As the holiday approached, Lars 91 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 1: couldn't help but feel a little anxious at the prospect 92 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: of leaving his home country for the first time. But 93 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: when he met up with his friends at the airport 94 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,719 Speaker 1: and started talking about all the fun they'd have that week, 95 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: his nerves faded quickly. This, he said to himself, was 96 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 1: going to be the trip of a lifetime. Once at 97 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: the resort, time flew by for Lars and his five 98 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: friends in a whirl of drink, sunshine and good vibes. 99 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: There was always something to do, be it swimming in 100 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: the resorts pool, playing football, or simply some bathing on 101 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: the beach, just looking out at the gleaming surface of 102 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: the ocean. And then there was the night life. In 103 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: the evenings, Lars and his friendsans bar hopped along the beach. Then, 104 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: as things livened up, they ventured inland in search of 105 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: the clubs. The trip was everything they'd hoped it would be, 106 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: and everyone was in good spirits throughout. That was at 107 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: least until the final night of the holiday, when everything changed. 108 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: On the evening of July sixth, Lars and his friends 109 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: headed out for their final dinner. The group was a 110 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: little more subdued than usual, having been partying every night 111 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: since they'd arrived. Most of them wanted to take things 112 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: easy and get an early night ahead of their flight 113 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: back to Germany. In the morning, after feasting on the seafood, 114 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: they headed to a local bar for one last drink 115 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: before heading to bed. By eleven pm, most of the 116 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: group was ready to leave, but Lars wanted to stay out. 117 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: Emboldened by his new sense of adventure, he was determined 118 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: to make the most of his last night at Golden Sand. Eventually, 119 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: Lars's friends headed back to the hotel, leaving him alone 120 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: at the bar. They didn't think it was such a 121 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: big deal, since Lars was an extrovert and more than 122 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: happy to strike up conversations with strangers. Now alone in 123 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: the bar, Lars soon got talking to another group of 124 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: German tourists. The conversation was friendly at first, but then 125 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: the subject turned to football. Lars was a devoted fan 126 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: of Ferder Bremen, while the tourists, supported by an muncheon 127 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: a rival team. The men started arguing about an upcoming 128 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: match between the two teams, and somewhere between the alcohol 129 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: and the testosterone, things escalated quickly. Despite being clearly outnumbered, 130 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: Lars was the kind of guy to back down from 131 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: a fight. Much to his detriment, the other men dragged 132 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: Lars into an alleyway behind the bar and beat him up. 133 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: After one hit to the jaw, Lars staggered back before 134 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,479 Speaker 1: another punch cracked him on the side of the head. Eventually, 135 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 1: Lars dropped to the fore and the men ran off, 136 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: leaving him bleeding on the ground. As Lars staggered back 137 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: along the beach toward his hotel, he felt a searing 138 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: pain inside his ear and realized that he could no 139 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: longer hear properly on that side. Having made it to 140 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: the hotel room, he collapsed into bed, hoping that a 141 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: few hours of sleep would be enough to cure him, 142 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: but he could barely get any rest at all. The 143 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: searing pain in his ear sharpened every time he moved 144 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: his head, and before long it began to ring and 145 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't let up. It felt like if he let it, 146 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: the sound would eventually drive him. The rest of Lars's 147 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: group were up early on the morning of July seventh, 148 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: packing their bags before their afternoon flight back to Germany, 149 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: but Lars was sluggish, barely responding when his friends tried 150 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: to wake him up. Finally, when he rolled over, with horror, 151 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 1: they saw the state of his face. It was an 152 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: alarming sight, his jaw covered in reddish purple bruises and 153 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: a thin line of dried blood coming from his ear. 154 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: Still slurring a little, Lars told them what had happened. 155 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: One friend insisted that he see a doctor before getting 156 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: on a plane, in case the flying might cause his 157 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,959 Speaker 1: ear some long term damage. It was reasonable to assume 158 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: he might well be suffering from concussion too, and he 159 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: had to do it soon or he'd miss his flight. 160 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: Lars was in luck since there was a medical center 161 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,239 Speaker 1: just around the corner from their hotel well that provided 162 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: walk in appointments to resort guests. Lars was promptly examined 163 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: by the doctor, who confirmed that he had ruptured his 164 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: ear drum, but thankfully had no concussion. The doctor prescribed 165 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: him an antibiotic to prevent infection, then gave him the 166 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: bad news that he should avoid flying for at least 167 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: forty eight hours. Lars was angry. He had a job 168 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 1: and a girlfriend to get home to. He couldn't just 169 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 1: hang around in Bulgaria on his own for another two days, 170 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: but the doctor was adamant that the changes in atmospheric 171 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: pressure during a flight could cause a reparable damage to 172 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: his ear drum. A despondent Lars went back to the 173 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: hotel and watched forlornly as his friends left for the airport. 174 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: With little else for it, he went to the front 175 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: desk and asked if he could extend his stay. The 176 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: receptionist eyed him suspiciously, king the dark bruises on his 177 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: jaw sadly, she said the hotel was fully booked for 178 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: the next few days, but more to the point, Lars 179 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: was supposed to have checked out thirty minutes ago. A 180 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: dejected Lance went back to his hotel room and packed 181 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: up his things as quickly as he could. He was 182 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: still in a lot of pain, and moving slowly and 183 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: not being able to hear out of one ear was 184 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: starting to make him feel disorientated. Having checked out, he 185 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: rolled his suitcase out onto the pavement and stood in 186 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: the blazing sun, trying to figure out what to do. 187 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: Traveling abroad for the first time had seemed exciting when 188 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: he was with his friends, but now he was hung over, 189 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: bruised and battered, and completely on his own. On the 190 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: evening of July seventh, back in Itzahoe, Germany, Sandra Mittank 191 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: was getting ready for bed when she heard her mobile 192 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,079 Speaker 1: phone ringing. She was excited to see that the call 193 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: was from her son, Lars. Sandra picked it up and 194 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: cheerfully asked Lars how his flight home had been, but 195 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 1: all she heard on the other end of the line 196 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: was silence. Lars, She said, again, are you there? Sandra 197 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: could hear breathing on the other end of the line, 198 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: But just when she thought it was an accidental call, 199 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: Lars finally began to speak. He didn't sound like himself 200 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: for a start. He was whispering and his voice was 201 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: shaking so much that Sandra could barely understand him, and 202 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 1: when she finally did hear his words, she couldn't make 203 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: sense of them. Lars was saying something about still being 204 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 1: in Bulgaria and that he was scared. There were people 205 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: following him, he said, four men who wanted to hurt him. 206 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: At first, she thought he was playing some kind of 207 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: practical joke. He had to be, after all, his flight 208 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: had been due back that day, but her son had 209 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: never been one for pranks, which could only mean that 210 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: the fear in his voice was completely genuine. Terrified, Sandra 211 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: asked if there was anything she could do. Lars asked 212 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: her to cancel his bank hearts because he was afraid 213 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: that somebody had access to them. He also told her 214 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: that he'd been attacked the previous evening and now his 215 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: attackers were chasing him through the city. But where are 216 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: you now, asked his mother, As Lars explained he'd left 217 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: the resort and moved to a hotel closer to the airport, 218 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: hoping to throw off his assailants, but now he was 219 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: convinced they'd found him alarmed and utterly helpless. Sandra begged 220 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: him to call the police if he really felt in danger, 221 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: but it was no good, said Lars. He couldn't trust 222 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: the authorities. Then he asked his mother if she knew 223 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: anything about seth priscil, the antibiotic he'd been given. He'd 224 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: taken it as prescribed, but now he wondered if the 225 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: doctor who'd prescribed it was secretly working with his attackers. 226 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: The drug was making him feel weird, he said. Before 227 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: Sandra could get any more information, Lars abruptly ended the call. 228 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: Sandra tried desperately to call her son back, growing increasingly 229 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: frantic as her cause went straight to voicemail. Back in Varna. 230 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: Throughout the call to his mother, Lars had been hunkered 231 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: down in a corner of his hotel room. He'd pulled 232 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: all the blind shut, worried that somebody in a nearby 233 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: building might be spying on him. But his mother's mention 234 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: of the police seemed to trigger something in him, a 235 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: realization that he wasn't safe anywhere. He abruptly left his 236 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: room and started pacing the hallways of the hotel. It 237 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: was a somewhat dingy and run down place, and the 238 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: more time he spent there, the more agitated he became. 239 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: But at the same time he knew it wasn't safe 240 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: to leave. He looked through every window he passed, peering 241 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: out to see if anyone was watching him from a 242 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: nearby rooftop. He went down to the foyer and walked 243 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: back and forth, eyeing everybody who came and went. For 244 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: a while, Lars took refuge in the hotel's lift. The 245 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: enclosed space with its bright fluorescent bulb made him feel safe. Certainly, 246 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: there was no way anybody could be lying in wait 247 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: to attack him there. But then the doors opened to 248 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: reveal a confused looking man hoping to get in. But 249 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: was it just another hotel guest, thought Lars, or an 250 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: assassin sent to kill him. Terrified, Lars fled as fast 251 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 1: as he could, sprinting through the hotel lobby and out 252 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: onto the street. By then it had gone one a 253 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: m and the streets were deserted. Lars had no idea 254 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: where he was going. All he knew was that he 255 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: had to keep moving. Back in Germany. Lars's mother, Sandra 256 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: hadn't slept a wink. All she could think about was 257 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: her son, all alone in a foreign country and seemingly 258 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: in danger. At a complete loss of what to do, 259 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 1: she was just contemplating trying to get in touch with 260 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 1: the Bulgarian police herself when her phone rang again. The 261 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,400 Speaker 1: relief at seeing Lars's name flash up on the screen 262 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: didn't last long. He sounded even worse than he had 263 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: in their last conversation. Rather than whispering, now he was 264 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:05,680 Speaker 1: talking so fast she could barely understand him. Sandra tried 265 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,880 Speaker 1: to force him to slow down. She asked if he'd 266 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: been able to get any sleep, and Lars laughed out loud. 267 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,639 Speaker 1: Of course he hadn't, he said. Didn't she understand what 268 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: he'd been going through. He'd been up all night trying 269 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: to evade his pursuers, but now he said they were 270 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: closing in. In that moment, a chilling realization dawned over Sandra. 271 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: Lars wasn't in physical peril. There were no shadowy men 272 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: chasing him across the city. It was something much worse 273 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:55,680 Speaker 1: than that. Lars had become untethered from reality. Sandra mittank 274 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: made her son promise her that he would go straight 275 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: to the airport at the first opportunity and get on 276 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 1: the first flight back to Hamburg. They'd figure the rest 277 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: out from there come home, she pleaded, and, much to 278 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: her relief, eventually Lars agreed. Back in Varna, Lars collected 279 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: his suitcase and checked out at the hotel. Then he 280 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 1: took the short taxi ride to the airport. He spent 281 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: the entire journey watching the driver's face in the rear 282 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: view mirror, monitoring him for any signs of possible danger. Thankfully, 283 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: Lars arrived at the airport without incident. Once there, however, 284 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: the large crowds and brightly lit terminal seemed to disorientate 285 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: him even further, and though the pain in his ear 286 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: had diminished, it seemed then to come roaring back. It 287 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: was then that he remembered the doctor had advised him 288 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: not to fly. He knew that he didn't trust that 289 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: doctor and that he was just trying to keep him 290 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: from a s but he still wanted a second opinion 291 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: to make sure, and that's how he ended up at 292 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: the airport clinic of doctor Kostov. Costov confirmed that Lars's 293 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: ear drum was indeed ruptured, but the flying wasn't likely 294 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: to make the damage any worse. At first, Lars was 295 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: relieved by the news, only for another panic to grip him. 296 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: So it was all true, he thought the other doctor 297 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: really had been lying to him and trying to keep 298 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: him from leaving Bulgaria. Lars began glancing nervously around the room, 299 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:40,679 Speaker 1: appearing to be looking for cameras or monitoring devices. He 300 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:45,719 Speaker 1: then asked doctor Kostov about the antibiotic, now absolutely convinced 301 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: that the doctor who prescribed it had been trying to 302 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 1: poison him. By now, doctor Kostov was picking up the 303 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: clear signs of paranoia. He wasn't going to clear Lars 304 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: to fly anywhere until he'd had a full psychiatric evaluation. 305 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: But before he could figure out the next steps, they 306 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: were interrupted by that loud knock on the door. Lars 307 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 1: sprang to his feet like he'd just been electrocuted. Trembling, 308 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: he eyed the door, convinced that the men who were 309 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:23,679 Speaker 1: pursuing him had finally tracked him down. He looked around frantically, 310 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: but there was no way out. I don't want to die, 311 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: he screamed. I have to get out of here, just 312 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: then the door swung open. On the other side of 313 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: it was a construction worker in a high viz vest 314 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: looking confused, and with that Lars bolted out of the room. 315 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: He pushed past the man in the high viz vest 316 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: and ran for his life back into the terminal building, 317 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: leaving behind his passport, his wallet, his phone, and all 318 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: of his luggage. Thanks to the extensive CCTV surrounding Varna Airport, 319 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: the last known sighting of Lars Mitank was captured on video. 320 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: Footage shows him sprinting out of the airport building and 321 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,919 Speaker 1: climbing over an eight foot barbed wire fence. After making 322 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: it onto the ground on the other side, Lars proceeded 323 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: to run across a field of sunflowers in the direction 324 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 1: of a nearby forest. At this point, he dropped off 325 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: the edge of the surveillance camera's range and vanished. Doctor 326 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 1: Kostoff reported what had happened to airport security, who in 327 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:52,199 Speaker 1: turn informed the Bulgarian police. For weeks, investigators combed to 328 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: the forests and fields surrounding the airport, confident they would 329 00:22:56,119 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: soon find Lars. Surely he couldn't get far without his work, 330 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: wallet or passport, they thought. But despite the extensive search, 331 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: no trace of Lars was ever found. In desperation, his mother, Sandra, 332 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 1: hired a private investigator to try and figure out what 333 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: exactly had happened to her son, but it came to nothing, 334 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: and although the footage of Lars's final moments circulated widely online, 335 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:33,359 Speaker 1: its infamy failed to produce any viable leads. The most 336 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: likely explanation for what happened is that during his last 337 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 1: twenty four hours in Varna, Lars experienced some kind of 338 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: psychotic episode. He became paranoid and delusional, convinced that he 339 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 1: was being followed and persecuted. What isn't clear is why. 340 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 1: It's possible that his descent into madness was caused by 341 00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: the head trauma sustained during the bar fight, or perhaps, 342 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: as others have suggested, it was an extreme response to 343 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: stress and sleep deprivation. A more unlikely possibility is that 344 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: he had a bad reaction to the antibiotic. In very 345 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: rare cases, this kind of drug can cause psychosis as 346 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 1: a side effect. There are some, however, who've speculated that 347 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 1: Lars wasn't paranoid at all, that he really was being pursued, 348 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: and that he disappeared because his attackers caught up to him. 349 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: Local police claim to have found no evidence of this. 350 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 1: In a spooky echo of the unexplained death of Eliza 351 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: lamp who died mysteriously in a hotel in Los Angeles 352 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 1: in twenty thirteen, footage captured at his hotel and at 353 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: the airport shows Lars quite literally running from nothing. Lars 354 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: Mittank has now been missing for more than eleven years. 355 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: His mother, Sandra, has never given up on finding him, 356 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: and still runs an active Facebook group dedicated to the case. 357 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: There have been plenty of supposed sightings over the years 358 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: in locations all across the globe, from as far away 359 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 1: from Bulgaria as Brazil. The only verified sighting of Lars's 360 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 1: last known whereabouts, however, was in that remote, desolate field 361 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: where he ran for his life before seemingly vanishing into 362 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: thin air. When I reflect on Lars's story, I'm haunted 363 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: not only by the mystery of his disappearance, but perhaps 364 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,120 Speaker 1: by something darker still, the idea that the mind can, 365 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: at any given time fracture to a point from which 366 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: there is no coming back, If indeed that is what 367 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: happened to Lars. To imagine what he endured that sense 368 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 1: of being hunted by invisible forces, that terrifying conviction that 369 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,639 Speaker 1: the familiar world has been replaced by a cruel imitation. 370 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: Is to glimpse the most fragile boundary of all, the 371 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: border between reality as we hope it to be and 372 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 1: the one that emerges if we allow all those latent 373 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: fears in our heads to take over and completely cloud 374 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: our judgment. And maybe that's why his story feels so 375 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:34,239 Speaker 1: unsettling to day, because in our own way, we are 376 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 1: all perhaps stumbling into a world where reality has never 377 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: been less certain, Where every face we see on a 378 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: screen is a fake, a polished and filtered version of 379 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 1: the real thing. Where voices we might have once felt 380 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: were reliable, governments, institutions, and the media feels suspect to 381 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: so many. Even our own family photograp are touched up 382 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: and manipulated to create the perfect picture postcard, so that 383 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: even in years to come, should we want to look 384 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: back nostalgically to our own personal pasts, we will no 385 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: longer find the truth of them, but simply a sweetened 386 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 1: and sanitized version of it. Reality, it seems, is being 387 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: closed off at both ends. We are the descendants of 388 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,479 Speaker 1: the false advert, the sales gimmick, and the spin doctor. 389 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: By all accounts, we should be better experts at spotting 390 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 1: the unreal by now. But that's the problem with reality. 391 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: It has always been a slippery thing, whether by our 392 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,679 Speaker 1: design or not, and we each of us live in 393 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: our own version of it. So if reality is always 394 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,679 Speaker 1: a little distorted, the question then, really, if we have 395 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: the luxury to choose is through just what filter would 396 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: we prefer to have it distorted? Through fear and hate 397 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: or love and empathy? What lens would we prefer others 398 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: to apply when they look at us. That concludes our 399 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,679 Speaker 1: final episode of season eight. As we step away for 400 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,680 Speaker 1: a little while, I want to thank you the listener 401 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 1: sincerely for spending your time with Unexplained. Your dedication, your curiosity, 402 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: and your willingness to journey into these shadowed corners with 403 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: me means more than I can ever say. If you 404 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: haven't already, please do rate, to review and maybe share 405 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: the show. It really helps to keep it all going. Lastly, 406 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: I just want to give a massive shout out to 407 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: this season's writers who've been doing an absolutely phenomenal job. 408 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: In alphabetical order, thank you so much to Diane hope, 409 00:28:54,840 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: Emma Dibden, James Connor Patterson and Neil mac Robert. Neil 410 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: actually has a book coming out. It's a horror novella 411 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 1: that has been described as equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking. 412 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: It's called Good Boy and comes out on October night, 413 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 1: so please look out for that. We'll return fittingly for 414 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: our first episode of season nine on Friday, October thirty. 415 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: First All Hallo's Eve with more unnerving tales from the 416 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: borderlands of the Unknown. Until then, we remain sometimes eerie, 417 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: sometimes strange, sometimes terrifying, always unexplained. This episode was written 418 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: by Emma Dibden and Richard McLain Smith. Thank you as 419 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: ever for listening. Unexplained is an Avy Club Productions podcast 420 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: created by Richard McLain Smith. All other elements of the podcast, 421 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: including the music, are also produced by me Richard McLain Smith. Unexplained. 422 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: The book and audiobook is now available to buy worldwide. 423 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: You can purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones and 424 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: other bookstores. Please subscribe to and rate the show wherever 425 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts, and feel free to get in 426 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: touch with any thoughts or ideas regarding the stories you've 427 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: heard on the show. Perhaps you have an explanation or 428 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: a story of your own you'd like to share. You 429 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: can find out more at Unexplained podcast dot com and 430 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: reaches online through X and Blue Sky at Unexplained Pod 431 00:30:30,760 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 1: and Facebook at Facebook dot com, Forward Slash Unexplained Podcast