Bulgarian Metropolitan Josif, Reported Missing, Found in Manhattan Hospital

A senior Bulgarian Orthodox hierarch who had been reported missing in New York was located alive in a Manhattan hospital, authorities said. The 83-year-old metropolitan, who has led the Bulgarian church’s communities across the United States, Canada and Australia for 40 years, was admitted after suffering injuries in a traffic collision on Friday, August 7.

How he was identified

According to investigators, the cleric was last seen at about 10:00 a.m. on the morning of August 7. Less than half an hour later the New York Fire Department (FDNY) received a call about a pedestrian struck by a vehicle at the corner of West 47th Street and 10th Avenue; the injured person was taken to hospital by emergency medical services.

The pedestrian and the missing metropolitan were not initially connected by authorities. The search escalated on Saturday when the New York Police Department issued a public notice seeking information about the missing metropolitan.

A key turn in the case came after a reader of a local outlet, W42ST, submitted a photograph taken at the scene of the crash. The picture showed an older man with a white beard dressed in a long dark robe being carried on a stretcher.

A deputy editor at the outlet, noting the distinctive white beard and dark clerical clothing, identified the man in the photo as the person who had been reported missing. The outlet passed the image and details to police, and investigators were then able to determine that the missing metropolitan was the patient at the Manhattan hospital.

Hospital officials reported that the metropolitan was alive and in good overall condition. Investigators continue to review the circumstances of the traffic collision and how the initial link between the injured pedestrian and the reported missing person was missed.

Photo: Sofia Globe / скриншот