An Irish man found in Malaysia after disappearing for two months will not be returning home for the foreseeable future as he recovers from his ordeal in hospital.

Stephen Warde, from Kinvara in Co Galway, was located in Kuala Lumpur at the end of February. His family had last heard from him on 1 January. Family members had travelled to the Asian country where authorities launched a major search. He was found in a "distressed state" by a man who brought him to the Irish Embassy in the Malaysian capital. Writing on the official search Facebook page, his family said that he needs "serious medical care" and that he was unable to travel home to Ireland. "Thankfully, Stephen was found alive in Kuala Lumpur last week. Unfortunately, he is not in good health. "(He) is expected to remain in hospital in Malaysia for the foreseeable future as he is not fit to fly and he needs serious medical care. “He faces a long road to recovery, but now that he has been reunited with us, we can support him during this difficult time.” The family also hailed the man who found Mr Warde as a "hero" and confirmed that they had given him the reward promised. [caption id="attachment_454052" align="alignnone" width="720"] Stephen Warde with his mother Mary Morrissey.[/caption] “We were delighted to hand over the reward of $5,000 to this man. "Were it not for this man’s thoughtfulness and compassion, it is likely Stephen would still be missing, or worse. "You are a hero and we will be forever grateful to you." The family thanked the public for supporting the search and said that extra money that had been raised would be donated to Kinvara Alive, a community group that promotes mental wellbeing.