Missing Persons /Guests and Importance of Communications

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

Missing Persons /Guests and Importance of Communications

Hello to all

 

Sadly here in Auckland, New Zealand we have had a case of a British woman by the name of Grace Millane, Essex, UK,  go missing and not return to the hostel she was staying at.

 

Would it please be possible for us all, including that of Airbnb itself, to remind the wider community and Guests wherever you are travelling and staying of the importance to communicate and let others, including your Hosts, know where you are going, who you are meeting up with and who you are staying with where possible and when you will be home.

 

Families, loved ones, friends and Hosts do care and worry about you all.

 

Meanwhile those who have family and friends travelling please take comfort knowing there are private homes and places they are welcome to stay where they can stay that are affordable and feel safe wherever they plan to travel to.

 

Thoughts are with all of you who have lost loved ones who have gone missing.

 

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/who-is-grace-millane-british-backpacker-missing-in-auckla...

 Who is Grace Millane? British backpacker missing in Auckland Author NZ Herald , Section National, Publish Date Friday, 7 December 2018, 10:25a.m.

21 Replies 21
Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

Please share amongst other Airbnb Hosts and Guest in our community and let's help try find Grace
 

Father of missing British backpacker Grace Millane arrives in Auckland

7 Dec, 2018 11:48am

 

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12172850

 

 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

I always ask my guests for emergency contact info. If they had an accident or disappeared, and didn't reply to phone calls or texts,  I'm sure their families would want to know ASAP.

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Sarah977, that is a good idea. Airbnb should have guests (and hosts) include their emergency contact information on their guest profiles so that hosts can contact Airbnb if something happens. @Helen427, what an awful situation - I sincerely hope she has just got lost somewhere and that they find her safe and sound.

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Sarah977

@Kath9

 

We probably should all be reaching out to our guests who are travelling alone to check they are safe and reassure them if anything happens we are here for them.

 

I try and encourage my guests, both current and when I hosted English Language Students to keep in touch one way or another.

 

 

It can be quite an adventure travelling on ones own alas there can always also be unforeseen incidents.

 

I can happily say I've had nice solo travellers stay through Airbnb recently who chose my place because they didn't want to stay in dormitories or hostels and knew they and there possessions would be safe.

 

I'll be making an effort to touch base with them for peace of mind.

 

Take care folks.

 

Auckland and New Zealand is generally a safe place to travel to and visit and Grace's situation is not an everyday situation for tourists to our country

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

Updates from Police Media conference at 4pm NZ time

 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/109163336/Missing-backpacker-Grave-fears-for-Grace-Millanes-safety-...

 

Missing backpacker: 'Grave fears' for Grace Millane's safety as last sighting revealed
Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12173163

 

Police question man and search hotel as father of missing tourist Grace Millane speaks

7 Dec, 2018 3:53pm
 

Missing British backpacker Grace Millane was last seen with a man, who has since been questioned, police say.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard and Grace's distraught father, David Millane, spoke to media this afternoon.

Beard said police held grave fears for the 22-year-old tourist's safety, and the investigation was progressing rapidly.

The last known sighting of Grace was at 9.41pm on Saturday at the CIty Life Hotel. She was with a man.

Police had identified the man and he had been spoken to.

An apartment at the hotel was a place of interest and is the subject of a
scene examination by police.

Two police cars were parked outside the City Life Hotel on Queen Street at 4:30pm.

A black helicopter has been hovering above the hovering above the hotel.

The Herald spoke to the manager of the hotel who said he did not know anything.

A couple who have been living at the hotel for the last seven months said they were concerned for the girl and her family but had not seen or heard anything.

A staff member the Herald spoke to said he had been wondering what was going on as police cars had been coming and going all day but management had not told the staff anything.

A man and woman who worked at the bar opposite the hotel said they were not working the night the 22 year old was last seen but had heard she was missing.

They said it was likely she would have gone to the Future Club on the other side of the hotel as that's where a lot of young people go.

"There's always trouble at that place, people getting in fights and things."

Detective Inspector Scott Beard appealed for anyone who was at the City LIfe hotel who could provide information to contact police.

"At present we have spoken to a person and we still have no evidence of foul play."

David Millane, fighting back tears, struggled to speak as he described his "lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-oriented daughter".

"Grace has never been out of contact for this long. She's usually in daily contact with her mother, myself, her two brothers ... and on social media."

His daughter had started her year-long OE in Peru and had told her family how much she was looking forward to moving on to New Zealand.

"She'd been bombarding us with numerous photos and messages of her adventures. We're all extremely upset and it's difficult to describe the wave of emotions we're going through."

He appealed for people with information to contact police - no detail was too small, Millane said.

The millionaire property developer, who was met by police when he flew into New Zealand at 7am today, was last in contact with his daughter on Saturday.

More than 25 police staff were working on the investigation after the young woman from Essex disappeared in Auckland after Saturday night.

Beard said it was understood Grace had a New Zealand and an English cellphone.

There could be more, he said.

He would not be drawn on whether Millane knew the man prior to their meeting at the City LIfe Hotel. Two police cars were spotted outside the hotel at 4.30pm today.

Police would continue to go through CCTV footage over the weekend, he said.

Who is Grace Millane?

She was on the trip of a lifetime, now the world is holding its breath as mystery unfolds into the disappearance of the British backpacker in New Zealand.

Grace Millane was last seen on Saturday night in downtown Auckland, the day before her 22nd birthday.

Her family raised the alarm two days later, after she stopped responding to their messages. Prior to then she had been in contact daily.

The "bubbly", "outgoing" artist and advertising graduate from Essex, in the southeast of England, was travelling solo for the first time.

Her brother Michael told the Herald she was six weeks into a year-long overseas adventure.

She started her trip in South America, spending four weeks travelling as part of a group itinerary.

A month ago she hiked with the group to the Inca citadel Machu Picchu in Peru.

Once she arrived in New Zealand about two weeks ago she travelled around the upper North Island.

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

Fellow Community, please be mindful and aware when family and others are traveling that it's quite common for travelers to have more than one phone with a different number belonging to the country where they are staying in, some have interchangable Simcards as it can be expensive in New Zealand and when traveling abroad to use roaming with one's exisiting phone plan and number.

 

Make sure you educate your friends and loved ones to tell you those phone numbers for their own Personal Safety.

 

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/12/missing-tourist-grace-millane-last-seen-with-male...

 

Missing tourist Grace Millane last seen with male at CityLife Hotel
  • 1 hour ago
  • Jamie Ensor
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3:34
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10:06
 
 
 

Credits: Video - Newshub; Image - Facebook

Police have confirmed a scene examination is underway at CityLife Hotel in Auckland Central, where Grace Millane was last seen on Saturday evening with a male companion.

After going through hours of CCTV footage, police say the last known sighting of Ms Millane, a British backpacker, was at the entry to the hotel at 9:41pm on Saturday night.

The male companion Ms Millane was with has been identified and spoken to police but no further details were provided. He is not in custody.

An investigation into the connection between Ms Millane and the man was underway, while an apartment at the hotel has been identified as a location of interest.

It is unknown if Ms Millane left the CityLife Hotel.

After being missing since Saturday, Det Insp Scott Beard said police hold "grave fears for her safety", but have "no evidence of foul play" at the moment.

It is believed Ms Millane had two cellphones, one English and one New Zealand, but Det Insp Beard said there could be more.

Det Insp Scott BeardDet Insp Scott Beard Photo credit: Newshub

Ms Millane's father, David, arrived in New Zealand from England on Friday morning and addressed media at the Auckland Central police station in the afternoon visibly distressed.

"Grace is a loving, out-going, fun-loving, family orientated daughter," he said while fighting back tears.

He said she had never been out of contact for such a length of time.

 

"We are all extremely upset and it is very difficult at this time to describe the range of emotions we are going through," he said.

David MillaneDavid Millane Photo credit: Newshub

Ms Millane began a one year overseas experience in late October, travelling to South America before arriving in New Zealand on November 20.

Up until her disappearance, Mr Millane said his daughter had been bombarding her family with photographs.

He asked that their privacy was respected and appealed for even the smallest amount of information about Ms Millane's whereabouts.

Newshub.

 
 
Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/377762/police-have-grave-concerns-for-missing-british-woman-...

 

 
New Zealand43 minutes agoPolice have 'grave concerns' for missing British woman Grace Millane
43 minutes ago

I also get emergency contact info from guests......ESPECIALLY my exchange student guests. And I always tell them to give their parents my contact info, and I give them one of my business cards and have them use me as their "local" emergency contact.

Rachel0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Helen427 This is such a heartbreaking story and is getting a lot of media coverage here obviously.  I worry because my youngest son, who celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday, is heading to Auckland on Boxing Day for 4 weeks.  He's travelling with his best mate and they are staying with another friend who is on a work contract out there but plan to tour both the North and South Islands.

I get quite a lot of young single guests here and I make sure every time that they have both my landline and my mobile numbers and tell them that if they are going to be back really late, get lost or delayed or if just anything goes  wrong to contact me immediately -  no matter what time of day or night.  Having raised three sons I do tend to be a bit of a "mother hen" but nobody has ever complained about that.  Better to be safe than sorry and in my mind I have a duty of care to these youngsters who are often so far from home and their own families.

 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Rachel0good on you for been protective mother hen.

 

I'll try msg you before your son comes to NZ.

 

 

Rachel0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Helen427 Thank you

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Rachel0@Kath9@Sarah977@Jessica-and-Henry0@ and @everyone_else

 

We have had an update on Grace in the last few hours that very sadly she has been murdered.

 

What is very concerning is in September 1998 Kayo Matsuzawa a Japanese backpacker who had checked in at the nearby Queen St Backpackers was also murdered and that case was recently featured on TV as it remains unsolved.

One worries that it could be a copycat type of crime that has taken place as Grace's body remains unfound.

Media reports say they have been interviewing a 26 yr old male.

 

The same Detective Inspector Scott Beard has been involved in both cases.

 

My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends.

 

I stayed near and passed Ramsden, Billericay, Essex where Grace and her family are from when I ventured off and did my OE to the UK and Europe many years ago and recall it was a lovely rural community.

 

It's devastating to hear someone from there has lost a family member and friend in the city I call home.

 

May they find Grace's body soon.

RIP Grace

 

 

@Helen427  How awful. I remember being that age, traveling back before the cell phone age. I'd go 3 weeks without contacting family. You feel so invulnerable when you're in your 20's. I knew I was fine, it never occurred to me why anyone would be so worried about me.