This is almost an open-ended question! If your teen ran away before, they may be retracing their steps. This is certainly true of seniors with dementia who often go down memory lane in search of something in their past. At other times, there may be a secret lover somewhere in the background. If you suspect you know who that is then your clue could be where they stay. Hence there is no golden key to the question ‘how to find a missing person’.

The generic answer is to take a systematic approach by following the process summarised at a high level below. However time is also of the essence. If you suspect the person has been abducted and in danger, it could be wiser to speak to a specialist tracer / private investigator almost before you start.

How to Find a Missing Person in 3 Steps

1 Call the Police – It is a total fallacy that you have to wait 24 hours before you do this. If your missing person has been in an accident and ended up in hospital then they should know. That said, you must be able to provide photos, physical description, clothing when last seen and details of any scars, tattoos and so on. Also write down the circumstances as you understand them. After obtaining a file reference number, remember to inform the Salvation Army and MissingPersons.Gov.Au.



2 Begin Your Own Search – Contact your missing person’s work, school, family, friends and acquaintances, and ask when they last saw them. Also ask anybody you know they saw lately such as neighbours and service providers. Check with the local coroner and hospitals as well as any social media pages. It’s easy to get confused so keep a log of who you spoke to and any clues you uncovered. Put up posters in prominent places. Remember to keep the police informed of any progress.

3 Get More People Involved – If you do not get results within a day then you need to widen your search. Speak to the local media, start an email campaign with pictures and a compelling story your friends will want to pass on. Finally, don’t forget your own social media pages. The answer to how to find a missing person is to get everybody involved.

The above may or may not produce a result, because you are using a shotgun approach that you have little or no control over. As an alternative, consider calling Missing Persons in Australia on 1300 553 788 or email info@missingpersonsinaustralia.com.au at any time of day or night and speak to the professional, highly trained Private Investigators.

There’s no charge for the initial consultation and we do have a track record of success while you may not have the time to do a proper job yourself.

