Possible Missing Pilgrim

[Travellingman]

Well, this has been touched on in another thread, but recent developments have given cause for concern.
Has anyone seen or heard of (NAME REMOVED now assumed safe) - last heard of in Pamplona around June 12th? Her facebook video is on the Camino Frances board, under, "Has anyone seen this pilgrim?"
She is a petite English lady, long blonde hair, pale complexion, likely very vulnerable.
Walking from St Jean to Santiago, with large backpack and possibly camping out.
Not seen or heard of for 2 months.
Maybe stopped at albergue in Pamplona around June 12th.
Please help.

 

[whariwharangi]

Well, this has been touched on in another thread and it was closed.

Is this person officially missing or are you just a concerned forum browser?

 

[Metropolly]

The previous thread, which I started, was closed because some forum members posted inappropriate and rather offensive replies. It was not closed for any other reason. I appreciate people have questions about this. The OP and I both met the woman in question before she left for her Camino more than two months ago. We have reasons to be worried about her that we do not intend to share on a public forum. We have taken initial steps to find her and are simply putting out feelers to see if anyone has met her. Just sightings, conversations, so that we can assure ourselves she is well. Please help us by keeping the tone of this thread positive and helpful

 

[Travellingman]

If you read the previous thread you will see that I did meet and talk at length with this lady before she set out on her camino. Since her last message from Pamplona, in early June, nothing has been heard, despite enquiries made by myself and others here in England, including, as stated, her last address and all phone numbers.
Yes, I am very concerned, as are others, despite attempts by some on this forum to trivialise the problem.
If anyone can help, please do, otherwise keep your negative comments to yourselves.

 

[Graham-R]

If you are concerned you should report her missing to the police.

Her PUBLIC facebook page has plenty of updates as far as Burgos and to July 28th.

Suggestion to moderator to come up with an official procedure/guidelines on missing people?

 

[whariwharangi]

If you read the previous thread you will see that I did meet and talk at length with this lady before she set out on her camino. Since her last message from Pamplona, in early June, nothing has been heard, despite enquiries made by myself and others here in England, including, as stated, her last address and all phone numbers.
Yes, I am very concerned, as are others, despite attempts by some on this forum to trivialise the problem.
If anyone can help, please do, otherwise keep your negative comments to yourselves.

You are to be congratulated on your concern. However, reporting someone as missing is quite a serious matter. As seen on the facebook thread this person is obviously not missing. And so ... why are you posting that she is?

 

[Travellingman]

I posted her missing because on the evidence I had, after searching, I did genuinely believe she was missing, perhaps in dire straits. Obviously I did not search enough, it seems.
So, I am the fool here, and you can all have a good laugh at my expense, yes?
But, as a famous French Resistance agent said,during WW2: "Better too much precaution than not enough".
Thank you all for listening.

 

[Metropolly]

If you are concerned you should report her missing to the police.

Her PUBLIC facebook page has plenty of updates as far as Burgos and to July 28th.

Suggestion to moderator to come up with an official procedure/guidelines on missing people?

Thanks for the facebook information. I'm relieved to hear she's well. This was the only purpose of our search on this forum. Reporting to police would have been the last step. Why escalate it, when all we wanted to know was that she was well? Now we know she is, we can relax. But may I suggest there is no 'one size fits all' approach to these matters. Those who were not familiar with the basis for our concern seem very keen to chip in with instructions for what we should do, without considering whether it was appropriate. I'm sure these instructions were meant to be helpful, but they could sometimes seem the opposite. Sometimes a softly-softly approach is preferred on a potentially delicate matter.
Anyway, great news thanks

 

[Metropolly]

You are to be congratulated on your concern. However, reporting someone as missing is quite a serious matter. As seen on the facebook thread this person is obviously not missing. And so ... why are you posting that she is?

I think it's fairly obvious that the OP hadn't seen the facebook updates when he described her as 'missing'. Less preaching please, and more rejoicing that the lady is safe and well!

 

[Arn]

Suggestion to moderator to come up with an official procedure/guidelines on missing people?

I can see some merit in this suggestion with some stumbling points: Pluses+++if the person is a Forum member, there is ample background to provide when they are walking, which Camino, estimated arrival in SdC. By announcing they are starting their Camino on a specific date...Forum members will often be on the look out along the Way. Negatives---If the pilgrim is not a Forum member, we will most likely have to depend on others that may be Forum members to raise the "hew and cry". Suggestion: if a Forum member is in contact with a person, or persons not a Forum member, that are, in fact, either planning their pilgrimage, or have departed, that they suggest the individual register with the Forum, or leave a projected plan as to which Camino Route and expected arrival date in SdC. Also, an agreed upon method of "checking in" on occasion. All that said, some folks are truly hoping for a personal, private Camino experience and do not wish to be tied to those back home. In that case, the purchase of transportation tickets with a departure/return date fits the bill. Often, "No News...is good News!"

 

[MendiWalker]

This is not the first time a peregrino goes "missing" on their Camino. And it´s not the first time either that a lot of ruckus starts up either over if the mentioned peregrino is well or not. This is the second thread about the same person. If I´m not mistaken another incident happened earlier this summer as well.

IMHO this forum is not the place for these matters. We peregrinos can do nothing nor have the means to do anything. Best is to contact the police. Be it the local police or the Guardia Civil. They DO have the means to locate a "missing " peregrino.

I also think Ivar and the mods should chat and reach some kind of procedure for future case.

Ondo Ibili !

 

[Felipe]

I guess that somewhere is a forum, or facebook, or twitter, webpage by/for hospitaleros and other Camino volunteers. They possibly can track efficiently a pilgrim to the last place where h/she registered. They may also be in more or less frequent communication with police, hospitals, paramedics and, simply, local neighbors. So, I suppose that would be the best place to send a message about a probably missing person, before spreading the word through the net, when everything else has failed. Or am I supposing a coordination that does not exist at all?

 

[wayfarer]

Several posts have already been removed on this thread so could we please try and keep our posts helpful and non confrontational.

 

[JoeNYC]

I think the problem lies with titling a thread "MISSING PILGRIM". It really is a "call to action" where it really wasn't necessary.

If it had been something like-- "I'd like to connect with Andrea...", the response might not have been so harsh.

Mods-- Maybe such a section could be created?

My $.02

Mod edit - I have changed the title to Possible Missing Pilgrim. William

 

[Metropolly]

If it had been something like-- "I'd like to connect with Andrea...", the response might not have been so harsh.

So one would imagine - but my last thread on this topic was just such a request, and the response was equally harsh.
Anyway, moving on... I agree with you, that a specific 'looking for' section would perhaps be helpful; not only to those of us in our armchairs worrying about those on the road, but also for those on the way who may have lost sight of their camino family. I'm a tech illiterate though, so it's possible there's already a website or app for that and I just don't know about it

 

[GreatDane]

Her Facebook page has her arriving in SdC on July 17 with lots of photos.

 

[SabsP]

Excuse me? At what point have I sought to preach?
Tell me what the problem is with making gentle enquiries as to someone's well-being?
I never labelled the woman as 'missing'. I merely asked for confirmation she was well.
Her personal details were kept out of my posts - they were put up by those people objecting to my search.
I am genuinely baffled at the unpleasant reactions to my enquiries.
Why was I wrong to ask forum members for help?
Isn't that what we're here for? Or is point-scoring the real game?

Thank you Metropolly for these words. Personally I was shocked by some harsh reactions. And it made me decide to leave this forum for a while and actually get more walking done. There is enough bad vibe in the real world to keep me going so I don't need it in the virtual one also.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thank you Metropolly for these words. Personally I was shocked by some harsh reactions. And it made me decide to leave this forum for a while and actually get more walking done. There is enough bad vibe in the real world to keep me going so I don't need it in the virtual one also.

You seem to be where we were last year. Please don't go, you are valued.

Re checking on Facebook:- We don't all do Facebook so could not address our concerns and were glad of the posts here. It is so good to read that Mrs DD is safe and well. Hopefully she will find time to post here, but if not then at least our worries are laid to rest. Thanks folk.

 

[William Marques]

On a the general question of people "Missing" although this is not the correct place to report such events we cannot stop people posting and quite understandably in such circumstances the parent or loved one concerned about the person is desperate and wants to post as widely as possible.

I know what it is like as we contacted the French authorities once when we were concerned that our son was missing. Of course he turned up a few days later safe and well and wondered what all the fuss was about. No doubt if relevant forums like this had been around at the time we would have posted something.

Guys - Please keep personal criticism of others off this forum.

 

[ivar]

On a the general question of people "Missing" although this is not the correct place to report such events we cannot stop people posting and quite understandably in such circumstances the parent or loved one concerned about the person is desperate and wants to post as widely as possible.

I know what it is like as we contacted the French authorities once when we were concerned that our son was missing. Of course he turned up a few days later safe and well and wondered what all the fuss was about. No doubt if relevant forums like this had been around at the time we would have posted something.

Guys - Please keep personal criticism of others off this forum.

I agree. We have a few of these each year and so far all pilgrims turned up... not sure if it makes sense to block these requests since they usually are from worried parents/family members. We just need to behave ourself in the response to the initial post.

Buen Camino!
Ivar

 

[grayland]

Thread will be closed for now.
There does not seem to be any benefit to further posting on this subject.