Live broadcasts can introduce viewers to all sorts of people and events. Recently, popular streamer iShowSpeed surprised his audience with extraordinary adventures while visiting Warsaw, encountering fascinating people and experiencing unusual situations. In a similar vein, an unexpected thing happened during a Twitch broadcast: a missing teenager with schizophrenia was spotted on live video by his distraught family looking for him.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder affecting a person's thinking, emotions, and behaviour. It can cause hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised thoughts, making it difficult for affected people to distinguish reality from imagination. This explains why 17-year-old Troy Coleman may not have realised he was being sought and why his loved ones feared for his life.

Troy Coleman, a 17-year-old from Mt. Morris Township, Michigan, went missing on 21 May, leaving his family and authorities with no information about his whereabouts. With no progress in the investigation, fears grew for his safety. However, an unexpected glimmer of hope emerged from a live broadcast on Twitch.

Troy's father, Weston Coleman, had previously appealed to the local community for help searching for his son. He suspected Troy might have boarded a bus and left the area. Weston emphasised that his son was unarmed and not a danger to others but was suffering from serious health issues requiring medication, which he did not have with him.

FaZe Lacy, a well-known streamer, was broadcasting his adventures in Miami when a young man in bright green swim trunks unexpectedly appeared beside him. Troy stopped by the table where Lacy and his friend Clix were having an outdoor meal. After a brief conversation and an exchange of jokes, the boy moved on without arousing much suspicion.

After the broadcast, Lacy received an email from a person claiming to be the brother of the missing teenager. Trent Coleman, Troy's brother, wrote: "My missing little brother from Michigan was on Clix and Lacy's stream in Miami. He was wearing green shorts […] He is not on drugs; he is schizophrenic and 17 years old. If someone can contact me about this, I would be so thankful."

Surprised by the discovery, Lacy shared a photo of Troy from the broadcast and a message from Trent on X. "While I was streaming yesterday, a missing teenager came up to me and Clix, and now his family knows he is alive and in Miami. I wasn’t sure if I should make this public, but I'm hoping somehow this helps him be found for his family."

Troy's story is a testament to the internet's power in the search for missing people. Thanks to a chance encounter on a live broadcast, his family gained renewed hope of finding their son. Troy's schizophrenia may have made him unaware that he was being searched for, highlighting the need for understanding and support for those with mental health issues. It also underscores the online community's significant role in such situations.