A tourist has been reunited with an urn containing the ashes of her son after it was stolen out of a rental car in Cyprus.
Kinga Bednarz was vacationing with her family in Paralimni, Cyprus, last week when the theft occurred. The family had traveled from Sweden and had planned on scattering the ashes of the deceased teenager on a stretch of beach on the east Mediterranean island, following the 19-year-old’s death in an accident five months ago.
However, while parked at Governor’s Beach, where the family had planned to scatter the ashes, their rental car was broken into and three suitcases, one of which contained the urn, were stolen from the car.
The theft happened within 20 minutes of the family leaving the car, the Associated Press reported.
The family reported the theft and used local media to try to recover the urn. Once back in Sweden, Bednarz told the AP an anonymous man called and offered a tearful apology, along with directions to the urn’s whereabouts.
Bednarz called the Cyprus police, who then located the urn near a highway exit. Bednarz and her husband plan to fly back to the island Tuesday to retrieve the remains.
The anonymous man claimed he meant no harm to the Bednarzes during the “emotional” conversation, she told the AP.
Police reportedly arrested two men, ages 33 and 43, and a woman, 34, in connection with the crime. All three are Cypriot nationals.
The other stolen items, including $224 in cash, were reportedly not returned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.