STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Czech couple has identified a man who was found in Oslo in December with alleged amnesia as their son.

Czech and Norwegian police said Thursday that several members of his family clearly recognized the 36-year-old, who was found in a bad condition in the snow in Oslo without any identification documents.

The man, who claims he cannot remember his real name but calls himself "John Smith," told Norwegian broadcaster TV2 he was excited about the news and it feels like "he is about to be rescued from hell."

"This is extraordinary, fantastic and the best thing that could have happened," he said.

Norwegian police sought help from the public in identifying the man who speaks good English and Czech and also understands Slovak, Polish and Russian. They said they will now seek to confirm the man's identity with DNA comparisons and are also investigating if he has been a crime victim.

"Smith" told TV2 that evidence suggests he may have been kept locked up, with his hands tied, for several days without any food or water.

"I'm afraid," he said. "It's my opinion they tried to kill me."

Czech police said it's still unclear why the man was in Norway.

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Associated Press reporter Karel Janicek contributed to this report from Prague.