Man missing for 26 years found alive in neighbor's basement

Omar Bin Omran went missing in 1998. After 26 years, he was found alive on a neighbor's property. The man, now 45 years old, had been held captive for nearly three decades right next to his family home. His captor was arrested.

Social media exploded with a shocking video capturing the moment the Algerian man was rescued after 26 years of captivity. Omar Bin Omran disappeared in the town of Djelfa in 1998 when he was still a teenager. He was last seen on his way to vocational school. Authorities and the missing person's relatives assumed he was most likely dead. After nearly three decades, it turned out they were gravely mistaken.

He went missing as a teenager. The neighbor held him captive for nearly three decades

Last weekend, police arrived at the property of the missing man's neighbor. It turned out that the 61-year-old man had most likely kidnapped the Algerian and held him captive for 26 years. The video that went viral on social media shows the moment when authorities pulled Omar Bin Omran out of a basement or shelter, the entrance to which was hidden under a stack of hay.

For years, Omar's family suspected that he had died during the civil war which took place in Algeria at the end of the 20th century. His mother passed away in 2013, convinced that her son was dead. Interestingly, shortly after Omar's disappearance, his dog regularly appeared on the neighbor's property for several weeks, probably sensing the scent of its kidnapped owner. To avoid arousing the family's suspicion, the captor poisoned the dog.

According to the El Khabar newspaper, the 61-year-old man was arrested and interrogated by the appropriate authorities. Allegedly, Omar Bin Omran told officers that he had heard his relatives many times during his captivity but was unable to call for help as if he had been put under a spell. After being freed, the 45-year-old received psychological support.