The Disappearance of Hannah Upp in St. Thomas

• 🏝️ Hannah Upp, a 32-year-old schoolteacher, vanished on September 14, 2017, from St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, amidst the chaos of two Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria.
• 🌪️ The disappearance occurred just two days before Hurricane Maria was set to hit, following the devastation of Hurricane Irma, which left the island without power or water.
• 🚗 Hannah's car was found at her favorite beach, Sapphire Beach, with her purse, ID, passport, cash, and credit cards inside, suggesting she did not plan to leave the island.
• 👗 Her sarong and sandals were found neatly folded on a bar stool at a beach bar, indicating a deliberate preparation before she was last seen.

The Mystery of Dissociative Fugue

• 🧠 The documentary explores the possibility that Hannah suffered from a dissociative fugue, a rare condition where a person loses their identity and memory, sometimes wandering off.
• 🏃‍♀️ This is her third documented disappearance, with previous incidents occurring at the start of the school year in New York City (2008) and Maryland (2015), both involving water and a loss of memory for several days.
• 💻 In New York, Hannah was found after 9 days, having logged into her Gmail account and used her New York Sports Club membership, showing some retained knowledge but no memory of the intervening period.
• 🌊 In Maryland, she reappeared after 2 days, found near a creek, with water being a recurring element in all her disappearances.

Expert Opinions and Unanswered Questions

• 🧑‍⚕️ Dr. Spiegel, a leading expert on dissociative fugue states, confirms the condition is real but rare and often triggered by trauma, though Hannah reported no specific trauma.
• 🤔 The documentary raises questions about how Hannah knew to access her email or use her gym membership if she had truly lost her identity, suggesting potential muscle memory or partial awareness.
• ❓ Despite extensive searches and dozens of tips, Hannah's whereabouts remain unknown, with theories ranging from her being on neighboring islands to having intentionally disappeared.
• 💔 Her mother, Barbara, continues to search for her, holding onto hope that Hannah might one day return, while experts suggest fugue states can last for days, months, or even years.