A man tracking down his estranged father came across his corpse instead, according to an inquest in Portsmouth, England.
Giles Gauntlet, 30, was the child of a brief romance and had only met his father, Barry Alp, once, at the age of five. Inspired by the BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are, Mr. Gauntlet, a catering manager from Southampton, uncovered the address of Mr. Alp, 56, using the Genes Reunited website.
He said, "I looked through the letterbox. I saw a pair of feet sticking out of the lounge and knew it must be him. It was horrific. I just could not believe it, and I was so angry that we had left it so long to meet up. I would now never be able to talk with my dad.
The coroner's verdict was death by natural causes.
