First 24 hours when someone is missing

Urgent safety note: If someone may be in immediate danger, contact police or emergency services first.

Record the timeline, call police or emergency services where urgent, preserve messages and routes, and nominate one clear contact point.

Practical steps

• Use official reporting routes before relying on public posts.
• Keep a clean timeline and separate confirmed facts from uncertainty.
• Share source-backed appeal links and update them if the case status changes.
• Protect private contact details, private addresses, and family information.

What not to do

Do not wait if the person is vulnerable, at risk, a child, missing abroad, or the circumstances are unusual. Avoid posting private allegations or unverified sightings online.

How Missing Alerts can help

Missing Alerts connects public-safe case pages, country guidance, source attribution, map or location fallback panels, and safe sharing links so supporters can help without spreading unverified details.

Related links

Advice Hub · Country Intelligence · Active public cases

Quick answers

Should I post everything online? No. Share only public-safe details and official source links. Where should sightings go? To police, emergency services, or the official source route named on the case page.