“We had no idea what to think, we didn’t know if he was dead or alive. It was a terrible time, but I was determined. I told my mum: ‘Whatever else happens, I promise I’ll find Gary.’” Caroline who used our Lost Contact service
Caroline lost contact with her brother, Gary, in 2005. Along with her mum, Carol, she spent years exploring every possible avenue with no luck. That’s when she reached out to Missing People’s Lost Contact Tracing Service.
Our Lost Contact service reunites people with family members with whom they’ve lost touch but there is not an open police investigation. We understand that people lose contact for a number of reasons and we will never judge, no matter the circumstances.
George Cooper recently covered Caroline’s experience using the service to find Gary with the story featured in both The Richmond Magazine and Surrey Magazine. George not only explored Caroline’s heart-breaking journey to find her brother but also spoke with Kirsty who leads our Lost Contact service to learn more about the challenges we face tracing a lost family member.
“There aren’t many ways of tracing someone if they are not particularly visible – on social media, for example. For me, that means hours of just sifting through the data. Typically, once we have an address, one of our partners will forward a letter from us. Even then, we have to be careful that we aren’t tracing people who are choosing not to be in touch. So we are totally reliant on their replying to that letter.” Kirsty, Lost Contact Supervisor
Despite the obstacles, after five months, Caroline received the call she had been hoping for. Gary had been found, alive and well. Caroline doesn’t know why he chose to disappear but is grateful to have him back in her life.
If you have lost touch with a family member and would like our help to reconnect, please learn more about our Lost Contact service below and reach out to Kirsty for support.
“My message to families would be to try not to leave it too late. Life is short. If there is a possibility of positive reconnection, I would go for it.” Kirsty, Lost Contact Supervisor
Our Lost Contact service is made possible thanks to LexisNexis® Risk Solutions.
Find out moreWe have launched a regular email so that you can be aware of new missing person appeals and share them far and wide! We are also calling on all Heroes to be the eyes and ears for Missing People on the ground. Your sighting of a missing person could make a difference in a crucial time.
