The family of Patricia Araujo, a 26-year-old Portuguese woman who disappeared at the Notting Hill Carnival, has rushed to her bedside after she was admitted to a hospital 25 miles away from where she was last seen.
Patricia Araujo’s aunt, Claudia Sousa, who had previously lived with Patricia before her move to a shared house, confirmed that she was located and admitted to Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. It is believed that a member of the public initially spotted her.
Claudia, who had been in constant communication with Patricia’s mother before her discovery, told Newsafro.com: “I’m constantly trying to stay strong for my family, as her mother and my mother (her grandmother) are in Portugal and they are crying all the time. They were extremely concerned and very worried.”
Araujo had traveled from Ashford, Kent to London for the event but had not been in contact since. She last spoke to her family just before midday on Sunday, informing her cousin that she was enjoying herself at the carnival and would return home that evening.
On Friday evening, Claudia Sousa, 41, revealed that the family had been notified that Patricia had been found and was in the hospital.
Claudia said, “We’re heading to the hospital now. We know she went to A&E, but we don’t have full details yet. We think she’s okay, but we’ll confirm when we see her.”
She added, “When the police called me, I started crying. I don’t know how I managed to stay upright. Her mother and grandmother were deeply emotional, raising their hands to the sky in gratitude that she was found. Now we’re focused on what we can do to support her.”
Claudia expressed gratitude to everyone who showed concern and responded to their appeals. Ryan Cassar, a colleague of Patricia’s at the Travelodge Hotel in Ashford, also shared on Facebook that “Trisha has been found.”
Video footage from a stranger captured Patricia at the Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday, wearing a brown dress, a black jacket tied around her waist, and black shoes. This was the last known sighting of the 26-year-old, who moved to the UK from Aveiro, Portugal, six years ago before her disappearance.
Claudia had previously expressed concerns that Patricia might have been kidnapped, particularly after Patricia’s missing phone was found by a stranger.
Claudia told KentOnline, “So many days have passed that we started worrying she might have been kidnapped. So many bad things happen at the carnival.”
The family described Patricia’s disappearance as “very out of character” and traveled to London to search for her.
Claudia recounted Patricia’s movements before she went missing: Patricia visited Cameo nightclub in Ashford on Friday and left with a rucksack of clothes. She then took the train to Stratford Railway Station, where she called her cousin to ask if she could stay at her house.
Patricia proceeded to her cousin’s place, leaving the rucksack with a change of clothes inside. When her cousin Yara inquired about her solo visit, Patricia mentioned she was considering going to the Notting Hill Carnival.
“Her cousin tried to persuade her to stay and go out in London with her instead, but Patricia left in the middle of the night and only informed her cousin afterwards,” Claudia explained.
Claudia added that Patricia, known as Trish in England, later told her cousin she was at the carnival and would return on Sunday night. However, she did not show up and has also missed work at the Travelodge in Eureka Leisure Park, Ashford, since then.
Patricia’s missing phone was reportedly found by a DJ on Sunday. The family was only notified of the situation on Tuesday when the DJ charged the phone and reached out to them.
