Has Somebody Noticed Cole? A Family's Hunt for Missing Youth

At the time 19-year-old Cole Cooper walked out into a chilly May night earlier this year, nobody would have considered he was in the concluding period of his life.

He had been spending time with pals at a bar near his home in the central region of Scotland.

But hours later, his cellphone was dead - no messages, no social media posts.

After there was zero indication of him after five days, his relatives contacted police.

Alert: This article contains emotional content and mentions of suicide

His relatives explained that they advised authorities from the start that Cole's disappearance wasn't normal conduct - and that he had been dealing with his emotional well-being.

"We clarified to the police about Cole's psychological condition. Even though Cole had not been diagnosed with clinical depression or similar conditions, he did face difficulties," said his mother.

"And they still did not designate Cole as a high risk.

"He's never run away... authorities have at no point been involved in my son's life until the time he went missing."

The law enforcement at first deemed Cole to be intermediate risk after carrying out an assessment and consulting loved ones and acquaintances.

They said Cole regularly shifted between residences and that it was not uncommon for him to be uncontactable with his relatives for extended periods.

Cole's loved ones believed they had few alternatives but to take matters into their own hands and launch their own appeal.

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

They utilized online platforms, publishing one straightforward update: "Did anyone spotted Cole?"

"The minute that it was posted, it started to somewhat expand," Aimee said.

Cole's situation began circulating across the Scottish region and further afield. His face was on numerous online clips, Instagram stories and social media posts.

The family established a specific platform, and sightings and information were circulated digitally between numerous individuals.

Aimee said they obtained hundreds of messages from individuals who suspected they had encountered Cole.

The relatives arranged search parties, which comprised up to numerous volunteers at times in the later stages of their search.

The vanishing had stunned the tight-knit community in the village, the local settlement on the banks of the channel near to where Cole lived. Local residents scoured the region as they assisted with the search.

The household also began to conduct their own personal visits, requesting people to review their surveillance systems.

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

"Instead of you devoting attention to your grief and your distress and your anxiety for that young man, you're now in a changed situation."

Law enforcement says the household had stated a desire to perform their own hunts and appeals, which they were allowed to do.

"We guided them on this. Nonetheless, at no time did the authorities solicit or prompt the relatives to head the investigation or provide updates," a representative said.

The police had also been looking for Cole.

Several days after he was noted as vanished, they issued their initial public request - then they raised his risk rating from intermediate to elevated.

Search and rescue dog teams and drones were deployed, as well as the police helicopter and divers.

The household reconstructed the concluding period of Cole's life and established a sequence of where the youth had traveled, looking for leads.

They found recordings of him from just after he exited the tavern in the town, in Stirlingshire, on the Saturday night.

He was filmed on camera walking to a private event, then afterward a doorbell camera recorded him traveling to and from his dad's house, although he wasn't in.

The household got security recordings from a mechanic's garage which captured Cole as he proceeded down the central avenue at the area, pausing near a public transport point.

At six in the morning,