Has Somebody Seen Cole? A Household's Hunt for Lost Teenager

When teenage Cole Cooper ventured out into a crisp May night recently, nobody would have imagined he was in the last moments of his life.

He had been socializing with companions at a tavern near his residence in central Scotland.

But a few hours after, his cellphone was dead - no messages, no social media posts.

When there was zero indication of him after five days, his loved ones phoned authorities.

Warning: This article contains disturbing information and discussion about suicide

Cole's family explained that they informed authorities from the start that Cole's vanishing wasn't usual activity - and that he had been struggling with his psychological state.

"We explained to the police about Cole's emotional state. Even though Cole had not been diagnosed with clinical depression or anything like that, he did struggle," said the parent.

"And they nonetheless did not designate Cole as a serious risk.

"He's not once escaped... police have never been concerned in my son's life until the time he went missing."

The law enforcement at first considered Cole to be medium risk after performing an assessment and consulting family and friends.

They said Cole often alternated between addresses and that it was not unusual for him to be unreachable with his household for extended periods.

Cole's relatives believed they had little option but to take matters into their own hands and initiate their own search request.

His family member, Aimee Tennee, said: "We just decided we're going to take charge when they're not paying attention to us."

They utilized digital networks, posting one basic update: "Did anyone spotted Cole?"

"The minute that it went on there, it started to somewhat escalate," his aunt said.

Cole's case began circulating across Scotland and beyond. His face was on numerous TikToks, social media stories and Facebook updates.

The family set up a specific platform, and possible sightings and data were circulated digitally between thousands of people.

Aimee said they received many contacts from individuals who believed they had seen Cole.

The relatives organised search parties, which comprised up to 300 people at times in the subsequent phases of their investigation.

The absence had shocked the local population in the village, the former mining village on the edges of the channel near to where Cole dwelled. Community members searched the region as they assisted with the search.

The relatives also began to perform their own house-to-house investigations, asking residents to check their security cameras.

"It's rather sad that it reached a stage where we were having to do that," the relative said.

"In place of you devoting attention to your sorrow and your despair and your urgency for that individual, you're now in a different role."

The authorities says the relatives had indicated a intention to conduct their own hunts and public calls, which they were entitled to do.

"We counseled them on this. Nevertheless, at no stage did the authorities solicit or urge the relatives to head the search or give updates," a spokesperson said.

The officers had also been looking for Cole.

Five days after he was noted as vanished, they released their first public appeal - then they elevated his risk rating from moderate to high.

Search and rescue dog teams and unmanned aircraft were deployed, as well as the air support and aquatic specialists.

The family assembled the concluding period of Cole's life and created a timeline of where the young man had traveled, seeking clues.

They found recordings of him from immediately following he left the bar in Denny, in the region, on the Saturday night.

He was captured on surveillance heading to a social gathering, then subsequently a home security system detected him traveling to and from his dad's house, even though he wasn't in.

The family got CCTV footage from a vehicle service center which recorded Cole as he headed down the primary road at Longcroft, pausing near a bus stop.

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