[Closed] missing persons - what to do?

Hi mate,does he have a mobile on him, or likely to?

Yes, but it seems to be off. It's also an old Nokia type thing, he doesn't really do mobile internet :/

If the police are already aware, they will notify MR as required and take it from there. They will need to find a car before committing MR to a search, I guess.

Sounds awful - best of luck to you, and hoping for a good outcome.

Do you know how he's following lockdown rules? Is he likely to have driven less distance than he normally would and might that give a clue where he went?

If you have access to his house, could you see which maps are missing?

Any acquaintances he's likely to have gone to?
Can you access the house to see if mobile is there? Check who he last called on mobile or l-line?

Horrid situation.

He'd mostly stopped driving for walks during lockdown and was just walking out from his flat. But yesterday was a particularly nice day and he did have some favourite spots in the Mendips.

Interesting thought about the maps. His lady friend has a key so we might be able to get in tomorrow, but he's got so many books and route maps it would be hard to know what was or wasn't there.

Phoning hospitals is a thing. You can do it. How much information/ useful it is will depend.

Good luck, fingers crossed he turns up.

Is there somebody at his house in case he returns?

Hope you have found him over night, and search teams are not needed

I wouldn’t go ringing hospitals, data protection and all that means they won’t say anything.

If he is in a hospital it’s a relative place of safety, and the Police will handle that.

Morning OP, I've no advice for you.

However I hope you find him soon.

I hope all is well

Ian

The police have got the key to his flat now.

His car was last seen by ANPR on the m32, so he might be near Bristol. If any Bristolians see a black vw polo, WN62 HRW near a park or woods this weekend, please alert the police. Thanks. We're going out looking today.

best of luck, hope he's safe & well

Best of luck buddy 🙏🏻

Good luck, sending positive thoughts.

You’d be surprised just got tough and resilient people can be, so stay positive

Good to see police have been doing ANPR trawl, that shows that they are taking it seriously

Mountain Rescue is a police deployed asset so they will call them out if and when there is a need. They usually would not do this until they have a car, searches need to be targeted.

Telephony is often key, if he has a smart phone they police should be working this looking at last activity and sending a phonefind or sarloc text. Ask the police if they have done this.

Best of luck.

OP Heading which way on M32? Lots of Bristol people on here.

Calling hospitals / custody centre etc is the first thing Police do. No point wasting time looking for a person if they are in hospital.

unless you expect the missing person to come to your house then the best thing you can do is go places you know he frequents and have a look.

I can’t comment on all forces but In Scotland a missing person enquiry is treated very seriously and there will be multiple officers working on it until traced.

The only other thing you could do to help is ask the police if they need anything else. I’m sure they have already been in his house but can you offer any idea of something missing? If a tent and hiking shoes are absent Police would want to know. Also can you find a diary or bank
Details? Again Police likely have this but you can offer your services.

Smart phone is not really a requirement for tracing (sarloc obviously easier) but if it’s switched on it can be traced quite quickly if there is enough concern.

🤞

Sorry - was heading north on M32. He lives in cotham so could walk to Leigh Woods etc - so it seems more likely that he would have been going north or East.

The police are putting out an appeal. His partner is speaking to them, so I'm a step removed. But we now have a small army of friends and family driving out to various beauty spots nearby to look for his car. And what with lockdown, they're all rammed of course...

Has he ever gone missing before and, if so, where found? Any recent change in meds? Demetia? Some 'revert' to an earlier stage in their life and go to where they lived decades ago. Does he have prior connections with the area ANPR picked him up? Can you access his PC (if he has one) to view recent browsing? This kind of stuff is useful to a MisPer team.

Btw if anyone could share this on any Bristol/south Cotswold walking / rambling forums you know of, that would be hugely appreciated X

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/En6Q1KJXYAAcZ8a?format=jpg&name=medium

Nothing constructive to add, just hope he turns up soon. Please keep this thread updated when you can.

Found the car in Badminton. He's probably within 5-10 miles of there.

You can probably refine that with a look at a map, assuming he went out for a walk, rather than for something where he didn't want to be found.

South is just the motorway so seems unlikely. There aren't any footpaths heading east from there, west is the cotswold way which seems a decent candidate, and north is Swangrove which looks relatively dull on a map but might have been appealing in miserable weather.

Suggest focusing on those areas.

Westonbirt has footpahs running through it and he might be looking at the trees?

Search is over. Thanks to all who shared the callout. I'll update the thread soon

I’m just seeing this now, and my son read it over my shoulder. All here at the Saxon house hope and pray that all is well.

OP, just seen on the local news. So sorry.

Oh goodness no, so sorry for you and your family.

We are sending love from the B household

Condolences doris500

How awful. My condolences.

Well that was a shitty plot twist. Utmost condolences to you and yours.

If it is the news story that came up when I googled this, then if it is any help, as a keen walker then going doing something you love is a good as any of us can hope for.

Again if is the story I think it is, my sympathy. This has not been a good year.

Condolences to you and your family. I saw the update on the search on the local paper's website. So much sadness this year.

Oh no - this doesn't sound good, so sorry. 🙁

So sorry Doris500. Deepest sympathies to you and your family.

My condolences.

I'm so sorry, my thoughts with you and your family.

So sorry OP. Only a few miles from me, but didn’t see the thread until now. 😢

What a terrible tragedy. My thoughts and condolences are with you OP...

Sorry to hear such sad news, thoughts are with you and your family.

So sorry RIP

Thanks everyone, for the thoughts and advice.

He struck out on Thursday morning with sandwiches and a flask, and while crossing a field appears to have had what the police are calling a 'medical episode'. He wasn't injured or bleeding or lost in the woods. Perhaps a heart attack or stroke.

As someone pointed out, he was doing something he loved. He didn't lose his mind or waste away with illness. It was, hopefully, quick. It was a beautiful day in the Cotswolds, and he had been looking forward to it.

He would, however, be embarrassed to see the extent of the search parties. And so he might concede that he should have told his partner where he was going, when he would return, and switched his bloody phone on (which was last clocked on Tuesday in the supermarket near his flat).

We were very impressed with the police and search teams, who were kind and calm. And we're amazed at the randoms who just turned up to help. People were seeing posts on message boards, donning their boots and going out after dark to join the search effort. It's humbling.

I'm just glad the emergency services found him, and not one of us. It's hard to describe the abject dread of desperately searching for a loved one in that situation, where successfully finding them would be so awful.

Give your family a hug today. x

Sorry to hear of your loss. And glad he was found so quickly.

As you say as trite as it sounds I'd much rather exit in a similar manner.

I'm so sorry to hear this, but what a way to go, out for a walk on a lovely day. Take comfort in that - far better than in a bed surrounded by machines and covered in wires.

Having been involved in a missing person search a few years ago, the resources involved are humbling and its sad when the outcome is the loss of a loved one. As you say, good to be out doing what you love at the time though. Best wishes to all.

As someone pointed out, he was doing something he loved. He didn’t lose his mind or waste away with illness. It was, hopefully, quick. It was a beautiful day in the Cotswolds, and he had been looking forward to it.

Firstly, deepest sympathies. I had been going to post something along the lines of "he died doing something he loved" however thought it might be too soon, or not right for someone I've never met. However good to see your comment. It's a small thing, but at least you have the knowledge that at the end he was somewhere he loved to be.

Such a sad time for you and your family. I hope you can continue to find someone me comfort that he was out doing what he loved.

I see a number of people die in a fairly dismal and artificial way; to me this is a good way to go.

So sorry to hear of this and sorry too for the worry your family must have had. As you say a successful find is rarely a pleasant thing.

and switched his bloody phone on

This is a generational thing. My in laws are exactly the same. If there is anything positive to come out of this it would be a good number spend christmas reminding/explaining to our oldies the huge benefits of having their bloody phones turned on to help find them in an emergency. Silent/ no vibrate options are available if peace and quiet are what you're after.

Yep my Mum's as bad, only turns her phone on when she wants to use it. Condolences Doris.

Thanks for posting Doris. My condolences.

Very sorry to hear this Doris.