The first disappearance occurred on August 28, 2008. Then 23-year-old Hannah Upp was last seen leaving her apartment to go for a jog. She had recently begun a new job as a teacher at Thurgood Marshall Academy in Harlem. Upp missed her first day of work and was later reported missing. Upp's keys, wallet, ID and other belongings were left behind.[1] For 19–20 days she was missing. During that time, she was spotted in several places such as an Apple Store in Midtown Manhattan where she logged into her email, and at gyms, but she didn't seem to recognize who she was or why people were searching for her.[5]
On September 16, 2008, the crew of a Staten Island Ferry discovered Upp lying face-down in the water. She was rescued alive and was taken to the hospital where she was treated for dehydration and hypothermia.[6]
After her discovery, she was diagnosed with dissociative fugue, a rare form of amnesia where a person temporarily loses their knowledge of their identity, and may travel or act without memory of who they are.[5][7]
In 2013, then 28-year-old Hannah Upp was working as an assistant teacher at a Montessori school in Maryland. On September 3, 2013, Upp was reported missing from her job. Her wallet and phone had been found on a footpath.[2] On September 5, 2013, Upp was found in the Wheaton-Glenmont, Maryland area after borrowing a stranger's phone and calling her mother. Upp told police she did not remember where she was or how she had gotten there.[8]
In 2017, Hannah Upp relocated to the U.S. Virgin Island of Saint Thomas, taking a new teaching position. In September 2017, Saint Thomas was struck by Hurricane Irma and was preparing for Hurricane Maria. On September 14, 2017, Upp was last seen leaving her home around 8 a.m., reportedly planning to go swimming at Sapphire Beach. Upp missed a scheduled school meeting and was reported missing.[9] Her car was found parked near the beach, with her belongings untouched, including her wallet, phone, passport and other personal items.[3]
Initial searches were hampered by the approaching hurricane conditions. Extended search efforts by local authorities, family and friends took place in the following weeks. As of 2017, Hannah Upp is still missing.[10]