Shane Unake Hawkins has been found and is safe at home.

The missing 15-year-old had been unaccounted for since July 20, but arrived home safely on Monday, said Prince George RCMP spokesman Gary Godwin.

"He was brought home by a friend. I understand the friend went and picked him up in Vanderhoof where he (Hawkins) had not been aware of the media attention, but the friend was," Godwin explained.

The reasons for the teen's loss of contact with immediate family members was not disclosed.

Godwin said, however, that the call for public help in the search came as soon as they determined the youth was not with his usual circle of friends and family.

Their search for those possibilities began as soon as they were made aware of the disappearance. Contrary to some misconception, police are not required to wait for some prescribed period of time before initiating a search for someone reported missing.

"Whenever a young person goes missing in any way, we are concerned, and we are vey pleased to work with our media partners to get that message out when these incidents happen," said Godwin.

"We take the circumstances into consideration. We follow up according to the evidence. Have all the family and friends been checked with? Was there a significant other involved? Was there somewhere the person is likely to go? But if we feel the matter bears immediate action, we put out the message immediately, and we definitely do not go by a practice of waiting 24 hours just to make sure they are missing, not at all, we begin right away."

fpeeb...@pgcitizen.ca