Euro 2016: Dad Reunited With Lost Son In Paris Thanks To Chanting Football Fans | HuffPost Life

'Stand up, if you are his dad!'

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

A dad was reunited with his 13-year-old son in Paris during Euro 2016, thanks to the chanting of football fans.

David Watkins, 58, had spent more than 20 minutes looking for his son Tom.

Watkins and Tom's brother Ben, 15, explained they had been distracted by fans dancing and looked around to see Tom had gone.

"My eldest son said 'Dad, where's Tom?'," Watkins told Wales Online.

"He thought he had walked off in front of us so I went charging through the crowds but he was actually behind us."

WalesOnline

Tom (left) and Ben (right) with their dad.

Watkins said his "heart was pounding" when he was searching for Tom, as he had no idea how he would be able to find his way back to them.

While his family were searching, Tom found a policeman.

It was the police officer's idea to approach the singing football fans to get them to help reunite the teenager with his brother and dad.

The fans chanted: "Stand up, if you are his dad" and "David, David, here's your son".

One of the fans, Jason Pocock, 28, said when they saw Watkins making his way through the crowd the "place went wild" and everyone began celebrating.

Watkins added: "The one thing I didn't think I could count on was those fans doing that. They hoisted him up and started chanting, it was unbelievable."

This isn't the first time football fans have lent a helping hand to parents during Euro 2016.

YouTube

Earlier in June 2016, a video that was filmed on a train in Bordeaux surfaced showing Irish football fans serenading a baby.

Despite their team losing 3-0 to Belgium the previous day, the group of men happily turned their attention to the baby girl sat on her dad’s lap and broke out into song.

A passenger on the train managed to capture the whole recital of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ as the baby stared back at them.

Before You Go

The Best Places to Go in Europe for Every Kind of Traveler

(01 of12)

You have your heart set on a European vacation, but now you have to decide where to go. With endless options, it's hard to pick just one city or country. Where you go should reflect what you want to do there, so here are 11 different options tailored to 11 different kinds of travelers. Some of the choices may surprise you!

Romantic: Lake Como, Italy(02 of12)

Venice and Tuscany are lovely, but for a truly romantic European getaway, head to Como. Located about 40 minutes from Milan, the lake is easily accessible via rail or bus. There are five principal towns around the shores of the lake: Bellagio, Como, Menaggio, Varenna, and Lecco. If you're looking for fun and crowds, stay in Como or Menaggio; for isolation and romance, Varenna or Bellagio is the way to go.

RELATED:How to Vacation Like George Clooney in Italy

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Night Owl: Croatia (03 of12)

Skip out on Mykonos or Ibiza and instead party the night away in Split, Rijeka, Zadar, and (during the summer months) at Hvar and Pag Island in Croatia. The summer season brings dozens of music festivals to the area, like Hideout and Ultra Europe, while the major cities tend to take over the nightlife scene when the weather cools down.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Budget: Portugal (04 of12)

Just a five-hour flight from the U.S. East Coast, Portugal is one of the easiest and cheapest European destinations to reach. From the Azores to Porto's wine region, there are a variety of destinations to visit. And with both a favorable exchange rate and new flight routes—JetBlue recently partnered with TAP to offer direct Boston-to-Lisbon flights—there's never been a more affordable time to visit.

RELATED:Amazing Places Where Your Dollar Goes Further This Year

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Adventurer: Fjord Norway(05 of12)

Norway is quickly becoming the next Iceland for adventure-seekers. Located along the West side of the country, the Fjord Norway area is a bucket-list destination for any adventurer. From glacier hikes and whitewater rafting to bird-spotting safaris and fishing trips, there's an incredible variety of activities along the fjords. Drive one of the 10 National Tourist Routes for the ultimate experience, or opt to take an activity tour through Fjord Tours.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Shopper: Antwerp, Belgium(06 of12)

Belgium's second city may be small, but it's also an underrated shopping mecca. Thanks to its size, you can easily walk the city (or better yet, rent a bike) and have a full-day shopping spree. The city is divided into seven districts: the South District, known for art galleries and local designers; the Fashion District, which hosts the famous MoMu (Mode Museum), international brands, and vintage shops; Wilde Zee, home to boutiques; the Historic City Center, which hosts the Grand Bazar Shopping Center; Meir, home to big chain stores and Festival Hall; the Theatre District, known for specialty stores and antiques; and Station, home to the city's China Town, and also diamond jewelry stores.

RELATED:Antwerp: A Plunge into Funky, Home-Grown Urbanity

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Art Aficionado: Spain (07 of12)

From Gaudi's famous parks and buildings sprinkled throughout Barcelona to Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art—the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia Museum, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum—Spain is home to some of the world's most famous and sought-after art, even in comparison to France and Italy. Make sure to see Pablo Picasso's incredible Guernica at the Reina Sofia (Madrid) and Gaudi's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia (Barcelona).

Other must-see museums in the country include the Prado Museum (Madrid), the Dali Theatre-Museum (Girona), the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum (Bilbao), IVAM Museum (Valencia), and Park Guell (Barcelona).

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Foodie: Copenhagen, Denmark (08 of12)

Nordic cuisine is quietly dominating Best Restaurant in the World awards and taking over the "foodie scene" due to its farm-to-table concept—the idea of minimizing the number of steps ingredients take between the source and the consumer. Denmark itself has a total of 21 Michelin stars awarded to 18 restaurants throughout the country. Copenhagen is at the forefront of this movement with spots like world-famous noma, Amass, Geranium, Manfreds, and Radio. If fine-dining isn't what you're looking for, the coffee shops, street food, markets, and open-faced sandwiches are just as popular—and delicious.

RELATED:10 Things You Must Eat (and Drink) in Copenhagen Right Now

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Sports Fanatic: England (09 of12)

Between rugby and soccer (i.e. football), England is Europe's mecca for sports. You can tour all of the European Premier League (EPL)'s stadiums—many even have their own museum—like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Fulham. You can even take Premier International Tour's EPL London Fan Tour during the EPL season and pick your favorite team to watch on your vacation.

There's also the National Football Museum in Manchester, the World Rugby Museum and tour of Twickenham, as well as the River and Rowing Museum, Marylebone Cricket Club Museum, and Wimbledon's Lawn Tennis Museum—assuming you're not in town for the British Open.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock Editorial)

Family Friendly: Edinburgh, Scotland(10 of12)

While whisky and scotch might be the first things that come to mind when you think of Scotland, Edinburgh is actually a great family destination. From a leisurely hike up Arthur's Seat to the Edinburgh Castle and dungeons, it's like a medieval playground. Other activities great for kids include the National Museum of Scotland, the Edinburgh Treasure Trail, Camera Obscura on the Royal Mile, and an underground tour at the Real Mary King's Close.

RELATED:Here's What You're Doing Wrong on Your Family Vacation

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Luxury: Switzerland (11 of12)

Switzerland is one of the most expensive and luxurious destinations for U.S. travelers. Whether you're going for the decadent food, lakeside chateaus, apres-ski scene, wineries, shopping, or world-class spas, it's going to cost you. You'll even find the world's most expensive hotel suite in Geneva at the Hotel President Wilson—it's close to $100,000 USD per night (including taxes).

RELATED:How to See Switzerland Like a Prince or a Pauper

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Off the Beaten Path: Slovenia (12 of12)

Slovenia borders Italy, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, and the Adriatic Sea. It's well-known by Europeans for skiing, and come summertime, the country has some of the best rafting along the Soca River. Its capital, Ljublijana, was named the European Green Capital of 2016 with one of Europe's most extensive pedestrian and cycling networks; it plans to be a zero-waste city by 2025. Thanks to its outdoor activities, glacial lake, castles, and islets, Slovenia is sure to be Europe's next hot destination—so visit soon to avoid the masses.

Read the original story: The Best Places in Europe for Every Type of Traveler by Ashley Rossi, who is a regular contributor to SmarterTravel.

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