Man woke up speaking Swedish

The American-born navy veteran, who made worldwide headlines when he woke up in hospital speaking only Swedish, has moved to the Scandinavian country in a bid to rebuild his life.

Michael Boatwright, 61, was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia, a condition generally related to a traumatic event, and says he has no memory of his past.

He was initially found by police unconscious in February and when he awoke in hospital thought his name was Johan Ek.

He has been undergoing treatment and the Riverside County Department of Mental Health has now bought him a one-way ticket to Gothenburg after he made it clear he wants to live in Sweden.

Mr Boatwright had lived in Sweden on and off for 20 years and when he got off the flight from Los Angeles he was met by a former girlfriend, Eva Espling, although he cannot remember ever dating her.

She identified him when she read the story in a Swedish newspaper.

“I just want to be able to live a normal life and hopefully get my memory back," he said.

The pair had not seen each other for nearly 30 years but Ms Espling said: “"I think it's the best solution for Michael, because he can't speak English.

“To recover fully, I think he needs to come where he's safe and understands what's happening around him."