At least his son Ray can now rejoin society.
German police: Teen says he's lived in woods 5 years - CNN.com
By the CNN Wire Staff
Berlin (CNN) -- German police are investigating after a 17-year-old boy turned up at Berlin City Hall earlier this month, claiming he has been living in the woods for four to five years, authorities said Sunday.
The teen, who calls himself Ray, was discovered September 5, said German police spokesman Martin Otter. The boy speaks English and a little German. He told authorities he had been living in the woods with his father, but decided to come out after his father died.
Authorities were working with Interpol to establish the boy's identity, authorities said. He was staying at a Berlin youth center.
The story has drawn comparisons to the "Piano Man," who was found wandering aimlessly near a beach on the isle of Sheppey, Kent, in southern England in 2005. The man was wearing a waterlogged dinner suit with all its labels cut out and a tie. It initially was reported that he stunned witnesses with a "virtuoso performance" on the piano.
The man was identified as a 20-year-old German national from Bavaria after telling staff at a hospital that he had been attempting suicide when found by police, the Times of London reported in August 2005. The man could not play the piano as well as initially reported, the newspaper said.
The man, who authorities did not identify because of confidentiality laws, flew back home to Germany, the Times said.
CNN's Bharati Naik contributed