In a surprising turn of events, Tyler Thompson, a U.S. national from Utah, has been detained in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following a failed coup attempt near the presidential palace in Kinshasa. Thompson's family expressed their utmost shock and disbelief after seeing images of their loved one being detained and beaten by Congolese soldiers.

Miranda Thompson, Tyler's stepmother, revealed that Tyler had traveled to South Africa last month for what was supposed to be a vacation with the family of his close friend, Marcel Malanga. Tyler had grown up in West Jordan, Utah, and had never traveled alone before this trip. Miranda described him as a happy and loving young man, who played football and had dreams of building and flipping houses.

Unfortunately, Tyler's vacation took a tragic turn when he, along with Marcel Malanga and another U.S. national named Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, were detained by Congolese officials. It is worth noting that Marcel's father, Christian Malanga, allegedly led the coup attempt and was reportedly killed in an exchange of gunfire with Congolese authorities.

Interestingly, Tyler was erroneously named as Taylor Thomson by a spokesperson for the DRC's military. Another U.S. national, Cole Patrick Ducey, living in Eswatini, was mistakenly accused of being involved in the coup attempt as well. However, Ducey confirmed that he had no involvement, and the DRC government officials have also confirmed this.

According to Miranda Thompson, after Tyler's arrival in Johannesburg, he traveled with Marcel and Christian Malanga to Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, to visit family. They had initially planned a vacation, but it was cut short due to Tyler falling ill with malaria. To make up for lost time, Christian Malanga offered to finance an extension of the trip.

The events of May 19 took Tyler's family by surprise, as they were unaware of any plans for him to travel to the DRC. Miranda emphasized that the events witnessed seemed completely incongruent with the young man they had co-parented for the past decade.

In a heartfelt message to Tyler, Miranda Thompson expressed her unwavering support and love, assuring him that they were ready to help in any possible way and expressed their deep desire to have him home safe.

The Thompson family now waits for updates and hopes for a quick resolution to Tyler's situation so that he can return home soon. The case highlights the vulnerability and uncertainty that can arise when individuals find themselves in unfamiliar and dangerous situations abroad.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based solely on the details presented by Miranda Thompson in an interview with ABC News.