Amnesiac man found at Calif. motel moves to Sweden
By Associated Press
Aug 21, 2013 2:18 PM CDT

A man who was found unconscious in a California motel and awoke speaking only Swedish, with no memory of his past, has arrived in Sweden.

The Desert Sun reports 61-year-old Michael Boatwright was greeted by Ewa Espling, a Swedish woman he dated in the early 1980s.

Public records show Boatwright lived in Sweden on and off between 1981 and 2003.

Boatwright was discovered in a motel room in Palm Springs in February. He referred to himself as Johan Ek, but authorities found ID that identified him as Michael Boatwright.

In March, doctors diagnosed him with Transient Global Amnesia, a condition triggered by trauma that can last for months.

The rare mental disorder is characterized by memory loss, "sudden and unplanned travel," and possible adoption of a new identity.

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Information from: The Desert Sun, http://www.mydesert.com/