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No matter how the Federal Police raise community awareness of missing persons in Australia through initiatives like Missing Persons Week, and the Stay Connected campaign, the truth and the sinking feeling that accompanies it only really strike when we find ourselves personally affected, and need help locating missing family members.
If you find yourself afflicted by such trauma, we advise you to stay as calm as possible as you go through the possibilities. When was the last time you spoke to the person? Perhaps your child told you they were staying on at school for a sports event. Did you forget your partner mentioned they had an evening dinner date with a client?
Locating Family Members: What to Do First
After exhausting such possibilities, you may have to face the fact that your loved one, family member, friend or colleague has somehow slipped off the radar. Was there a precipitating event, bad news, or a quarrel that affected their judgement perhaps? Locating family members can be as simple as fitting the pieces together.
If these thoughts do not provide a working clue, the next phase of locating family members, workmates, or friends involves phoning around and speaking to the people close to them. Say something like, ‘I am worried, I haven’t seen so-and-so since early this morning. Have you seen them since then?’ This often provides the answer when the person forgot to say where they were going
Locating Family Members: What to Do Next
If these inquiries fail to produce results, you need to take action urgently, especially if your missing person is a child or a senior. Here are some things to do right away, perhaps in parallel to a professional consultation.
- Visit your nearest police station, file a concern, and leave a recent photo
- Call your local community newspaper to alert them to the problem
- Spread the word about it on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
- Phone nearby hospitals and the local mortuary to eliminate these possibilities
- Ask your nearest branch of the Salvation Army to alert their case workers
Locating Family Members: Obtaining Professional Help
If what you do first, and what you do next do not produce tangible results, you should consider consulting a specialist for advice about what else to do urgently. Missing Persons in Australia offers a free initial telephone consultation. You can engage with us on 1300 553 788. This could be your first important step towards locating the family members whom you love.