Irwin Found Alive

Grammy-nominated producer Christian Julian Irwin is undergoing psychiatric evaluation after being found sitting naked in a Topanga Canyon, Calif., creek washing his jeans a week after he was reported missing.

A resident spotted Irwin August 26th and alerted police, according to sheriff’s Capt. Ray Peavy.

Irwin, who lives in the area, disappeared August 20th after making a frantic cell phone call to a friend; he claimed he was being chased by Nigerians who had contacted him as part of an Internet scam.

There is no evidence the 48-year-old producer, who has worked with artists including David Bowie and Carly Simon, was being pursued by anyone, Peavy said.

A distraught Irwin was taken into custody after officers decided he was mentally incompetent and might harm himself. He agreed to go with sheriff’s deputies after authorities located his sister, who helped calm him down.

The producer was examined and questioned by medical and mental health staff at a nearby hospital, where he was deemed in good physical health. He was moved to another facility where he remains under observation.

Rescue teams spent about 1,000 man-hours searching for Irwin in scorching hot weather. They scoured a large area crisscrossed by streams and marked by rough terrain.