Missing persons in the swimming pool environment

GUIDANCE

What is a missing person? 

A missing person is someone whose whereabouts remain unknown after attempts have been made to locate them. 

How might a person be missing in a leisure centre? 

A child or vulnerable person may go missing because: 

• They have become separated from their parent.
• They have become confused or separated from their carer.  
• They may have arrived at the leisure centre seeking help. 
• They have escaped a harmful or abusive environment. 

Who might become a missing person? 

What makes a person vulnerable may be their disposition, illness, or their circumstances. A person may be vulnerable in one context but not another. 

Examples of persons who may become missing: 

• An elderly person with dementia who is lost.
• An autistic child who has run away due to sensory overload.
• A victim of abuse who is escaping their abuser. 
• An alcoholic who has memory loss after a heavy binge. 
• A person with schizophrenia is experiencing a loss of control. 
• A prisoner who has escaped custody. 
• A suspect who is evading arrest by the police. 

How might a missing person be in danger? 

A missing person may be in immediate danger or at risk of danger if intervention is not taken early. Owing to the wide range of circumstances in which a person may have gone missing, it is important to take a compassionate and understanding approach. 

Missing persons may make bad choices that put their safety at risk, including becoming disorderly when approached. Other missing persons may already be injured or in distress. 

How to respond to a report of a missing person

You should: 

• Ensure you obtain a quality description of the person. 
• Establish when and where the person was last seen. 
• Establish any reason the person has gone missing. 
• Alert all members of staff and prioritise a search of the building. 
• Search high-risk areas of the building first (i.e. swimming pool, car park). 
• Promptly contact the relevant emergency services. 

How to respond to a missing person when they are found

Missing persons need your time, compassion, and understanding. Missing persons often experience heightened anxiety and response to sensory stimuli. You should seek to reduce the number of persons, interruptions, and sudden events, noises, sounds, or smells around the missing person. 

Missing persons may show diminished trust in others. It is important to build a relationship by demonstrating understanding and respect. Keep sentences and instructions short, and adopt a slow pace and calm tone of voice. Allow the person adequate time to process what you are saying and to listen to anything they might say. 

Where appropriate, you should seek to involve the vulnerable person in any decisions about their next steps. If you are concerned for someone's welfare, you should call the relevant emergency services. 

Citation. Jacklin, D. 2021. Missing persons in the swimming pool environment. Water Incident Research Hub, 27 December.