The Horry County Police Department is frequently posting on their social media pages about missing or runaway teens.
One case in particular got attention this week after a young man posted on his own missing persons post. Some commenting on the post thought he might be participating in the “48 hour challenge” where teens are daring each other to go missing.
Lt. Mark Bonner with the Horry County Police Department, says regardless they had multiple officers searching for him.
“There was a team, the day we got the report they went out to Aynor with the road officer to follow up, they went out to Little River,” said Lt. Bonner.
Lt. Bonner says teens can sometimes be a tricky age group with a wide range of reasons as to why they go missing.
“By the time we get it there’s usually years of build up, problems within the household, they get frustrated, working through the juvenile system, DSS, DJJ, so there’s a lot building up in the background.” said Bonner.
Tina Pearson spends her days making calls and scrolling through social media posts to track down missing teens. She’s part of a national non-profit organization called Center For Search and Investigations.
“To me, there should never be a term runaway, every child, every person, is missing for a reason, missing and endangered they are gone for a reason,” said Pearson. “We’ve had several cases in the last week or so that have not been part of the 48 hour challenge.”
Pearson says but just because a missing teen is posting on social media does not mean they are safe.
“Just because they are responding on social media does not mean it’s that child,” said Pearson.