London man woke up in Amsterdam after getting really drunk at friend's funeral

A 22-year-old man woke up in Amsterdam after getting so drunk at a friend’s funeral he flew to the Dutch capital in the early hours of the following morning. James O’Kane, Orpington, South East London, cannot remember why he booked a 4am taxi to Gatwick airport but say he was drinking for 16 hours beforehand, making him so inebriated he said he “could not remember his name”.

Initially airline EasyJet would not let Mr O’Kane on a flight, but he persevered and was allowed on British Airways after buying a £232 return ticket. He said: “The alcohol made everything seem like a completely wicked idea. But when I got to Amsterdam it hit me about what I had done. I was completely wasted but when you are drinking you are determined.”

Mr O’Kane, who had taken his passport to the pub with him the night before for ID, describes himself as a “unique character”, but said he had never been abroad alone before. He claims he first realised he was in Holland when the air stewardess told him after landing. This worsened when his mother Janice, 58, refused to pay for an earlier flight home. Mr O’Kane was forced to stay in Amsterdam for three days with only £50 to his name.

“When I got there I rang my mum and asked her to buy me a room in a hotel, she asked if I was in London ... I said Amsterdam,” said Mr O’Kane. “She was laughing about it with my dad.” Mr O’Kane was forced to buy a pair of flip flops because the shoes he had worn for the funeral were causing him pain. “For the next three days I wandered around in my three-piece suit and had to buy some flip-flops because my shoes were hurting.” Mr O’Kane added that he has not stopped drinking since his return.