Canadian man missing for five years found barefoot in the Amazon

Anton Pilipa

A Canadian man who has been missing for more than five years has been found barefoot in the Amazon.

Anton Pilipa disappeared from his home in Vancouver in 2012 and trekked across two continents to reach the rainforest 6,500 miles away.

He was spotted by a policeman walking down a dirt track in November but had no form of identification.

Through embassies and other international agencies his family were tracked down and Anton’s brother, Stefan, said he was “stunned” and “amazed” he had made it so far.

"I told myself that he was dead. Because that was the only thing I could come up with that explained his absence,” Stefan told the Daily Mail.

"But in my heart of hearts, I didn't think he could be. I was really shocked,” he added.

It is thought Anton suffers from schizophrenia and has now been put back on medication.

He managed to travel through 10 countries, including Canada and the United States, without a passport, with the intention of reaching the National Library in Argentina.

Anton did make it to the library in Buenos Aires but was turned away because he did not have identification.

He decided to take his journey towards Brazil, where he was eventually found. He survived by scrounging through bins and picking fruits and berries.

"I've never felt alone. It's been a lot of thinking for years, sleeping in the open. It's very simple to live, we do not need many things," Anton said, the New Zealand Herald reported.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Stefan and has raised more than $13,000 to cover the costs of getting Anton home to Canada.