Family of missing Briton appeal for help to save lives

LONDON, Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The family of missing British journalist, Michael Dixon, will on Friday (18 October) mark four years since he vanished in Costa Rica with no trace.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131017/NY99055)

Despite many promises by Costa Rican authorities, the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and British police to take action, there was no proper investigation and Michael's family face never knowing what happened to their loved one.

Up to 500 British citizens go missing abroad each year.

But unless there is media pressure, as in the case of Madeline McCann, British authorities seem not to care.

Michael's brother, David Dixon, an IT specialist in London, thinks people deserve better.

He is planning to launch a new NGO - the International Missing People Group (IMPG) -to help families around the world who are left to their own devices when their worst fears come true.

Experts agree with David there should be a global organisation to tackle the problem.

They include Sigifredo Perez, the director of INSARAG Americas, a UN search and rescue body; Robert J. Koester, a search and rescue specialist and the author of the book Lost Person Behavior; and Mark Cleverly, the director of Public Safety Solutions at IBM.

David now wants British and Costa Rican authorities to endorse the project in order to make IMPG the best it can be.

"When we tried to find Michael, we were fobbed off by diplomats and policemen. We were ripped off by private detectives and blackmailed by bogus informers. We had no idea how to hire a professional search and rescue team, how to organise a media campaign or how to contact other families looking for their loved ones," David said.

"The past four years have taught us a lot. IMPG will give families the tools to tackle these issues," he added.

Links and contacts for media queries:

i. Infographic on Michael Dixon case: http://helpfindmichaeldixon.com/sites/default/files/CASESTUDY2.pdf 
ii. BBC story on Michael Dixon: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/fast_track/9485099.stm 
iii. Infographic on IMPG: http://internationalmissingpeople.org/IMPG_infographics.pdf 
iv. Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpfindmichaeldixon/

v. Contact details for David Dixon
Email: info@helpfindmichaeldixon.com
Phone: +44 7920 792 204

vi. Contact details for INSARAG
Email: insarag@un.org

vii. Contact details for Robert J. Koester
Email: Robert@dbs-sar.com

viii. Contact details for Mark Cleverly
Email: mark.cleverley@us.ibm.com