Dad launches app to help locate missing children

Dr Darren Fern from Cornwall, whose daughter Milly was eventually found, will be meeting the parents of Madeleine McCann next week in the hope they will back the innovation. The Lost-Kidz app works by letting parents send an alert to other registered users in the area with a photo and information about their missing child. Mr Fern, an orthopaedic surgeon from Truro developed the tool to help other parents after experiencing feelings of helplessness when Milly disappeared while he was buying a newspaper. “The feeling of terror and sheer helplessness as I tried to cover the many horrific scenarios rushing through my mind at the time was truly awful. “I didn’t know whether to run to the car park entrance and stop every car leaving, or run up and down the aisles yelling for help. Milly was eventually found 35 minutes later coming out of the men’s toilet. “She had gone to use the toilet blissfully unaware of the drama and stress outside.” Darren said he had already spoken with Kate and Gerry McCann about the app, which was developed with the help of his brothers and computer software designers. He said: “They told me how getting information out quickly, especially images of Maddie, may have helped people find her when she first went missing.” Lost-Kidz will be launched in the Apple store on May 25 to coincide with International Missing Persons Day and will cost just 69p per year.