Did Anyone Spotted Cole? One Family's Search for Lost Young Man

As 19-year-old Cole Cooper ventured out into a crisp May night this past spring, no-one would have thought he was in the last moments of his life.

He had been spending time with pals at a pub near his residence in Scotland's central area.

But hours later, his cellphone was dead - no messages, no digital activity.

Once there was no sign of him after five days, his loved ones phoned law enforcement.

Alert: This article contains emotional content and references to suicide

Cole's family told that they advised police from the start that Cole's disappearance wasn't normal conduct - and that he had been dealing with his mental health.

"We clarified to the police about Cole's emotional state. Although Cole had not been diagnosed with clinical depression or comparable problems, he did have challenges," said his mother.

"And they still did not classify Cole as a serious risk.

"He's never run away... authorities have never been engaged in my son's life until the moment he went missing."

The police initially deemed Cole to be intermediate risk after performing an analysis and speaking with relatives and companions.

They said Cole often alternated between addresses and that it was not unusual for him to be out of touch with his household for certain durations.

Cole's family believed they had little option but to become investigators and initiate their own public call.

His aunt, Aimee, said: "We just resolved we're going to do it ourselves when they're not paying attention to us."

They employed social media, posting one basic update: "Has anyone spotted Cole?"

"The instant that it appeared online, it started to slightly spiral," Aimee said.

Cole's case began spreading across Scotland and further afield. His photograph was on multiple online clips, Instagram stories and Facebook updates.

The household created a dedicated page, and potential sightings and information were distributed via the internet between numerous individuals.

The relative said they obtained numerous communications from citizens who thought they had seen Cole.

The loved ones coordinated search parties, which involved up to numerous volunteers at points in the subsequent phases of their quest.

The disappearance had stunned the tight-knit community in the village, the local settlement on the edges of the waterway near to where Cole dwelled. Community members examined the area as they helped with the hunt.

The relatives also began to perform their own door-to-door inquiries, asking residents to review their monitoring devices.

"It's quite sad that it arrived at a point where we were having to do that," Aimee said.

"In place of you focusing on your sorrow and your distress and your anxiety for that individual, you're now in a alternative position."

Police Scotland says the family had expressed a desire to conduct their own investigations and public calls, which they were entitled to do.

"We advised them on this. Nonetheless, at no stage did law enforcement request or encourage the family to lead the search or supply updates," a official said.

The police had also been seeking Cole.

Five days after he was reported missing, they released their first public appeal - then they elevated his risk level from moderate to elevated.

Victim recovery canine units and aerial devices were deployed, as well as the air support and aquatic specialists.

The relatives assembled the last hours of Cole's life and built a chronology of where the teenager had gone, hoping for clues.

They discovered footage of him from immediately following he exited the pub in the location, in the county, on the specific night.

He was recorded on video heading to a house party, then subsequently a doorbell camera recorded him moving between his parent's home, even though he didn't enter.

The relatives got security recordings from a auto repair shop which captured Cole as he headed down the central avenue at Longcroft, stopping near a bus stop.

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