Mystery of missing 18-year-old in central Budapest is resolved — but in the worst possible way

Hungarian police have confirmed the identity of a body recovered from the Danube in Budapest as 18-year-old Mátyás Egressy, who had been missing since 17 January 2026 after a night out in the city centre.

Police said the body was found on Saturday, 21 February, on the Danube’s District XI (Újbuda) section, about three kilometres south of Rákóczi Bridge, and the identification was confirmed on Monday, 23 February.

The Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) said no circumstances indicating a crime have emerged. The case will continue under an administrative procedure with experts involved to clarify the circumstances.

What the police said about the discovery

In the police statement reported by Hungarian media, authorities said the body was recovered on Saturday afternoon and that identity confirmation took two days.

Index reported that BRFK communicated the news publicly only after the identification and after the family had been notified, citing “dignity-related and procedural reasons”.

How the disappearance unfolded

Egressy went missing in the early hours of 17 January, after leaving a central Budapest venue and failing to make it home to District XI on the Buda side of the city.

A police notice issued during the search said he had been out with acquaintances in District V and started home at around 2:15 am, but did not arrive.

Why the case drew so much public attention

The disappearance became a major public case in Hungary, driven by intense social media activity and repeated reports from members of the public who believed they had seen a confused young man in different parts of Budapest.

Police repeatedly asked that anyone with relevant information contact authorities directly rather than posting online. In a Police.hu “Zsaru Magazin” item, authorities again urged the public to call the emergency number 112, or the Telefontanú hotline (+36-80-555-111) — including anonymously — instead of relying on social media.

Search efforts included the Danube

During the active search phase, Police.hu reported that the Danube River Police patrolled the river section from the Chain Bridge downstream as far as Csepel, in shifts and multiple times a day, watching both the shoreline and the water surface “day and night” for any sign of the missing teenager.