Disappearances in central and rural areas of Eastern Black Sea cities: A 6-year analysis

Disappearances in Central and Rural Areas of Eastern Black Sea Cities: A 6-Year Analysis Objective: It was aimed to review a specific search and rescue profile by explaining the general characteristics of disappearance cases in the Eastern Black Sea city center and rural areas. Methods: The disappearances that occurred in the Eastern Black Sea city center and rural areas for 6 years between 2015 and 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Archival data of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) were used for this review. Results: 290 cases lost in the Eastern Black Sea Region within a 6-year period and whose data we could access through the AFAD database were included in the study. Of these 290 patients, 208 (71.7%) were male, while 82 (28.3%) were female. When we look at the distribution according to additional diseases, no additional disease was detected in 188 (64.8%) of the cases. There was Alzheimer's in 48 (16.6%) cases, Dementia in 14 (4.8%) cases, and Mental Retardation (MR) diagnosed in 7 (2.4%) cases. While 10 (3.4%) of the cases had Psychiatric disorders such as Depression, Schizophrenia, Mania, Bipolar disorder, 4 (1.4%) of them had known epilepsy. There were a total of 17 (5.9%) blind or deaf cases. There were 2 (0.7%) cases evaluated in the "Other" category, such as Hypertension (HT) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM). 117 (40.3%) of the cases were in the center, 90 (31%) of them were in rural areas, 36 (12.4%) of them were in the plateau, 26 (9%) of them were in the creek/creek line location, 9 (3.1%) of them In the forest, 5 (1.7%) were lost in the sea, 5 (1.7%) in the dam lake, 1 (0.3%) in the tea field and 1 (0.3%) in the hazelnut grove. When examined according to the way they were found, 38 (13.1%) of 290 cases could not be found. 118 (40.7%) people were found dead, 107 (36.9%) people alive, 27 (9.3%) people injured. Conclusion: Although there are many international academic publications on disappearance cases, there is no such epidemiological study in our country. With this study, as a result of the data obtained by examining the disappearance cases in the Eastern Black Sea city centers and rural areas in detail, various activities can be carried out to take various precautions for future accidents, to provide appropriate training and to inform the society. This study will guide the teams in activities such as protective measures, professional training, public education and new research in national and international search and rescue activities in terms of methods and results. Keywords: Lost, Retrospective, Search and Rescue, AFAD