The 2026 Symposium is tentatively scheduled to be in conjunction with the 2026 Missing and Unidentified Persons Conference. Date and location to be set at a later date.

The Syrotuck Symposium began in 1996 to: “Foster the intellectual and scientific development of SAR methods and techniques, to promote new ideas, and to encourage development of new techniques and the practical use of technology.”

The idea of a symposium focused on search for the lost person has its origins with Bill Wade and the National Park Service (NPS). In 1975, Bill brought together the prominent search function researchers to share information and methods. In addition to Bill, participants included Dennis Kelley, Lee Lucas, Bob Mattson, Bill Syrotuck, and Jon Wartes. Out of that meeting, and concurrent work on the new search management course, came the foundation of what we now recognize as the theory and practice of search for the lost person.

At Rick LaValla’s suggestion, the Symposium was named in honor of the late Bill Syrotuck, one of the true pioneers in the field of search for the lost person.