Reaction speed: what to do when a loved one has disappeared

In most cases, panic is the worst thing that can happen in an emergency. But not always. There is one problem in which panic, as a condition that pushes for immediate action, is rather an ally. It's about the disappearance of a loved one. When a person disappears, the worst reaction is procrastination, inaction. After all, the later the search starts, the less chance of success. It is better to apologize a hundred times for worrying too much than to allow a tragedy.

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A myth that many believe in: in order for the special services to begin search activities, three days must pass from the moment of a person's disappearance. In fact, there is no need to delay for 24 hours, much less three days. The first two days after the disappearance are the most important for the search and its successful outcome, says the commander of the search and rescue team "Lisa Alert" Grigory Sergeev.

Of course, the fastest reaction requires the disappearance of the child. If you cannot reach him for several hours, find out where he is, do not hesitate to immediately contact the nearest police station and write a statement, attaching a fresh photo of the missing person. The application must be accepted, and not necessarily from a relative. Try to provide the investigator with the fullest possible picture: not only the special signs of the child and what he was wearing, but also his bad habits, conflicts in the family and environment.

At the same time, it is necessary to involve volunteers. In our age, when information is scattered over the Internet in seconds, there are bound to be people who care. We are ready to accept your application around the clock on the Lisa Alert search team hotline (8 800 700 5452) or on the website. For obvious reasons, the squad's capabilities are limited — despite the fact that there is an active recruitment of volunteers — and preference is given to those cases where its work can be most useful.

Valuable information for the search may be contained in the personal belongings of the missing person and on his computer. View your browser history, personal correspondence on social networks. If we are talking about a missing child and his SIM card is issued to you, then you can order a printout of calls from a mobile operator. All the more or less valuable information should be immediately transferred to the investigator and volunteers.

As well as a list of friends and acquaintances. However, do not wait for the police to call them — do it yourself. Be especially attentive to those who saw the missing person shortly before the disappearance, let them remember as accurately as possible where and under what circumstances it was, what the person said, in what mood he was.

As practice shows, when searching in an urban environment, orientation is one of the most effective means. Print out as many A4 leaflets as possible with a fresh, preferably color photo of the missing person, a description of the signs, clothes, place and details of the disappearance. You need to hang flyers in crowded places: at public transport stops, in entrances, shops ... Be ready to put incoming data on the map about where the person was last seen.

On the second day, it would be useful to call the investigator (you need to find out his name and phone number when you submit an application) and ask what actions have been taken. The initiated criminal case under the article "Murder" should not frighten. This article gives the security services maximum powers.

Think again about the list of people who, without knowing it, may have important information. Call those you didn't think of before. At the same time, it is impossible to stop the dissemination of information about what happened. Dozens of specialized communities are open in social networks, leaflets can also be distributed, for example, to traffic police officers at points of departure from the city, put them up at train stations and airports. Do not admit that you have already done everything possible. You can always do something else.