Brendan ‘intelligent and tough’

FRIENDS and charity staff said Brendan Brady was an independent, intelligent and tough individual.

After five days surviving in Paris on his first foreign trip, with little money and almost certainly increasingly disorientated, that was proven.

Brendan suffers from scoliosis, a condition that means his spine is badly curved. As the day goes on, he gets increasingly tired, according to his family.

In addition, he has a speech impediment.

Details of his remarkable adventure on the streets of Paris were only just emerging last night following his discovery by a French woman on a park bench near the Champ Elysees.

However, it appears he may have stayed in a hotel one night but his money - less than €100 - rapidly ran out.

There were reports Brendan - wearing his Manchester United top under a black sweater - slept rough a number of nights.

He was in remarkably good shape, according to those who were with him following his miraculous reappearance. This is despite surviving on water for four days.

Brendan was due to be examined at a Paris hospital last night.

His mother Eileen revealed her deepest fears for his safety just hours before he was found. It would be a miracle if her son managed to survive. He did.

Brendan was missing in the French capital for five days since he was separated from the rest of the RehabCare touring party while on a visit to Eurodisney last Wednesday.

“I cannot see him managing, I definitely cannot see him managing. It would take a miracle,” she said.

Recalling her own visit to Paris and the difficulties with the Metro system, she said it would be extremely difficult for him to negotiate the transport system.

He does travel independently around Dublin but this was his first visit to a foreign country.

Mrs Brady said her hope was he was living rough and being looked after by homeless people.

The 42-year-old may be physically disabled but those who know him said he was intelligent and fiercely independent minded.

He was with his group and helpers at a designated meeting point. They were walking away - Brendan was to the back of the group behind a person in a wheelchair - when it was noticed he was missing.

After failing to find the group, he decided to get a train into the city, then a taxi. But from there he didn’t know the location of the hotel.

It is believed he remained close to the Champ Elysees for most of the five days.

There were sightings of him there and RehabCare, which had six staff in Paris coordinating the search, focused its efforts in the area.

A fullscale police search was launched after 48 hours. RehabCare also hired private detectives.

But it was only yesterday French media really became involved, with radio interviews and an advertisement in a Parisian newspaper.

A result followed rapidly as a French woman, informed by the media, spotted Brendan sitting quietly on the park bench.

Mrs Brady said it was not like her son to wander.