Finding Tanmay: How Social Media Helped Find a Missing Man Suffering from Depression

When a man went missing, Indians on social media immediately sprung into action to help find him after his family asked for help on various platforms like Twitter and Facebook. And thanks to their resourcefulness, he has now been found and reunited with his family.

On December 11, the family of Tanmay Upadhyay, a 30-year-old man, lost contact with him after he stepped out for a walk. While the police had already been contacted, friends and family of Tanmay set up a Twitter account and a Facebook page dedicated to spreading the word.

The family members said that they were especially anxious as Tanmay was suffering from mental illness and is a patient of epilepsy.

Please help us find ailing Tanmay. @Uppolice is doing its bit. @CMOfficeUP @BDUTT @ETVUPLIVE @JantaKaReporter https://t.co/NJsPuXjUTa
— Finding Tanmay (@FindingTanmay) December 14, 2016

The Noida Police tweeted his picture and were also working in tandem with Gurugram Police, UP Police, and the Delhi Police to locate Tanmay. “Tanmay was suffering from depression for the last 15 days and was on anti-anxiety medication,” his brother Himanshu Upadhyay told Hindustan Times. While the family was getting increasingly frustrated, someone who recognised Tanmay through his pictures on social media, reached out to them and informing that he had been spotted on December 14.

@noidapolice @Uppolice We have found Tanmay @FindingTanmay Someone saw him on social media and called us from Indrapuram and updated us.
— Finding Tanmay (@FindingTanmay) December 14, 2016

@FindingTanmay @noidapolice ~ We have followed you. Please DM us yr contact number.
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) December 14, 2016

It was just a matter of hours after that before the police located him and notified his kin. The account has since expressed gratitude to all those who helped.

Thank you everyone. We have found @FindingTanmay Thanks for your wishes and support. Will update the details later.— Finding Tanmay (@FindingTanmay) December 14, 2016

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