“Do you realise the whole world is looking for you?”

BRENDAN BRADY only had enough money for a bottle of water, a tea and a croissant after spending more than €40 on a taxi as he desperately searched for his hotel on the day he disappeared.

When the 42-year-old was approached by police at the end of his five day ordeal on the streets of Paris, he feared the two officers were going to arrest him.

He told them: “I didn’t do anything wrong.” The policeman replied: “Do you not realise the whole world is looking for you?”

That marked the end of a long adventure for Brendan, who is physically disabled and has a speech impediment. He was reunited with his hugely relieved mother Eileen and other members of the west Dublin family yesterday morning.

They will remain in Paris until tomorrow but Eileen said Brendan now just wants to get home. Despite living on the streets and surviving on fountain water, Brendan was in great shape when examined by doctors on Monday evening. “He’s got a fantastic colour, you’d swear he was on holiday in Spain,” said Eileen.

More details have emerged about what happened after Brendan became separated from the RehabCare group last Wednesday.

After realising his group was not in the theme park, he began planning his return to Paris. Brendan had taken the Metro into the city and then hailed a cab. He remembered the name of the hotel but did not know the area. “When he got the taxi it just went round and round and then charged 40,” Eileen said.

He stayed out that night and had enough money for some tea, a croissant and a bottle of water the next morning. That bottle of water was refilled regularly from the fountains of Paris, which saved his life.

He knew RehabCare had planned a boat trip the next day and so made his way to the River Seine but there was no sign of the group.

Brendan spent the next four days and nights on park benches and bus shelters as a full scale missing person’s hunt was launched. And nobody bothered him.

“That is what’s amazing. Nobody picked on him or anything. He started looking a little dishevelled so maybe they thought he was a down and out,” said Eileen.

He was finally found on Monday evening at the Rond Point des Champs-Elysées.