EVERY SEARCH HAS A %%STORY%%
We often tell our story through the eyes of our volunteers - because the people we search for can’t always tell theirs. Whether they are too vulnerable, too far into crisis, or never found, these moments often end with heartbreak for families.
That’s why our stories centre those who show up: the volunteers who search with care, skill and hope - no matter the hour, the outcome, or the odds.
Below, you’ll find different searches as very human reminders of why every call matters, and every person we search for matters too.
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SHOWING UP TO BRING %%LOVED ONES%% HOME
One Spring morning our team was called to South West London to help search for a woman in crisis. The risk to life were high was high and her family were understandably fearful and expecting then worst.
We deployed over 30 trained search technicians over two days, working alongside the emergency services across riverside paths, woodland and open spaces. Our Incident Control Unit supported coordination on the ground, ensuring we could search quickly, methodically and safely. We worked together tirelessly, searching for the woman.
Eventually, she was found and brough home to her loved ones, but sadly it was too late to save her life.
These are the parts of our work the public rarely sees. Quiet, deeply human moments that put life in perspective and remind us that every person we search for matters. That showing up when we are needed matters.
OF the people we search for are facing mental health crises
of those we search for have made plans to take their own life
A %%LIFE SAVED%% WHEN INTUITION AND EXPERIENCE cOMBINE
On a cold Sunday night in October, our team was called to assist in South London, where a 15-year-old girl with autism had been missing for several hours. The callout came at 21:53. We responded immediately.
When we arrived, over 50 responders were already assembled, including police officers, firefighters, and our own volunteers. We deployed foot teams, a search dog team and a drone team using thermal imaging technology. Our team work alongside the emergency services supporting incident control and coordinating the search strategy.
After hours of methodical searching, our most experienced search manager arrived on scene, delayed by road closures. As he reviewed the missing person's photo, he realised he had passed her minutes earlier near a petrol station. Officers drove straight there and found her. Cold, but safe.
Moments like this are why we train. Why we prepare. One life saved makes every hour of effort worthwhile.
SUPPORT THE VOLUNTEERS
BEHIND EACH STORY
Help us continue showing up - with compassion, professionalism and persistence.
A %%LOVED ONE%% BROUGHT HOME TO SAFETY
On a dark Winter night in South London, we were called to help search hospital grounds for a 91-year-old woman who had gone missing.
She was living with dementia and had walked out unnoticed - alone, disorientated and at vulnerable. We responded immediately to cover the vast grounds in darkness. Our volunteers searched carefully through car parks, outbuildings and nearby woodland, coordinated by our Incident Control Unit. It was complex, quiet work, driven by urgency and care.
We didn’t find her that night, but the next morning, she was located safe and well on the other side of London, having boarded a bus soon after leaving the hospital. Ours wasn’t the team that brought her home, but we were part of the wider effort that did.
Being ready matters. Responding matters. Because behind every missing person is a family hoping for news. Search and Rescue doesn't always mean being the one to make the find. It means showing up. Supporting the emergency services. Strengthening the response. Helping to make the difference. That night, we did just that.t
OF OUR MISSING PEOPLE LIVE WITH DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER'S
OF THOSE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA WILL GO MISSING AT SOME POINT
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MISSING PEOPLE AND THOSE THAT %%MISS THEM%%
The team were deployed to West London to support the search for a man believed to be in mental health crisis. He had been missing for several days. The police were covering a vast search area and limited resources and we were asked to assist.
We responded with over 25 trained volunteers, our Incident Control Unit, and a coordinated strategy to cover woodland, waterways and open ground. Every footstep, every radio call, every line searched was driven by the hope of bringing the missing person home.
We didn’t find him. But our presence brought something else - comfort, reassurance, and the knowledge that someone was still looking. That people cared. For his loved ones, it meant they weren’t alone. That his life mattered.
Not every search ends with a find on that day, but every search matters. We are there when the outcome is uncertain - bringing care, skill and compassion to families facing the unknown. Because being present is sometimes the most powerful thing we can do.
Join us in making a
Difference
Your support can help us find missing persons and bring hope to families in need.
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