The South Australian Outback has been gripped by heartbreak and confusion as the desperate search for 4-year-old August “Gus” Lamont enters its sixth day.
The little boy vanished from his grandparents’ property south of Yunta, with the only sign of him being a tiny footprint spotted in the dirt.
Authorities have now shifted the operation from rescue to recovery, fearing it is unrealistic for a child so young to survive alone for this long.
A single footprint has sparked more questions than answers
Image credits: South Australian Police
On the day he vanished, Gus was wearing a grey broad-brimmed hat, a blue Minions shirt, light gray pants, and boots.
Police have deployed infrared drones, specialist divers, dogs, and ATVs in their attempt to locate him, according to the Daily Mail. Hundreds of searchers have also participated in the effort to locate the 4-year-old.
Image credits: South Australian Police
So far, however, the only trace of Gus that searchers have found is a single bootprint discovered about 500 meters from the property’s homestead.
Yorke Mid North Superintendent Mark Syrus confirmed that it matched the pattern of the boots Gus was wearing when he went missing.
Image credits: South Australian Police
“It’s a very similar boot pattern to what Gus was wearing when he went missing… A four-year-old doesn’t disappear into thin air. He has to be somewhere,” Syrus said.
Syrus then admitted that the situation has moved into a “recovery phase,” though the possibility that Gus could be sheltering somewhere, hidden from search teams, is still there.
“Hopefully he’s hanging in there alive, but we are now in recovery phase, and the fact he’s been gone over 100 hours and six days, that’s a long time to be out in the elements.
“We always believe Gus is a tough little country lad. He may be curled up under a bush somewhere, and we’re determined to find him,” Syrus added.
Image credits: 7NEWS Australia
Adding to the mystery of the case, Gus was actually not known to wander far on his own, according to The Sun.
“It’s unusual for him to move out of the area. But who knows what goes through a four-year-old’s mind?” Syrus said.
Gus’ family is pleading for hope as theories swirl about what happened to the missing 4-year-old
Image credits: South Australian Police
Gus’s family, devastated by his disappearance, shared a statement through a friend. “This has come as a shock to our family and friends, and we are struggling to comprehend what has happened.
“Gus’ absence is felt in all of us, and we miss him more than words can express. Our hearts are aching, and we are holding onto hope that he will be found and returned to us safely,” the family noted, adding that they are asking for privacy as they are working with the police.
Image credits: 7NEWS Australia
Authorities have ruled out abduction, noting the remote road near the property is only traveled by nearby station owners.
Some locals, however, have speculated that the boy may have fallen into one of the region’s countless unmarked mine shafts or wells, many of which date back more than a century and are nearly impossible to spot.
Image credits: 7NEWS Australia
People who spoke with the Mail also noted that it was unlikely Gus had wandered 40 km to the Barrier Highway, a 1,000 km desolate stretch of Outback that connects South Australia to New South Wales.
Authorities, for their part, have started retracing their steps as a way to help locate the missing child.
“Yesterday afternoon, we had another review of our search and we’ve actually gone back to the property and searched it now for the third time, just in case he’s secreted or hiding somewhere around the property.
“Unfortunately, nothing turned up. So today, we’re continuing the search around the area, and hopefully we’ll find a clue, a hat, or something that might give us an idea of which direction he travelled in,” Syrus stated.
A survival expert stated that there is still a chance Gus might be found alive
While authorities’ efforts have now shifted to the recovery phase, survivalist Michael Atkinson, a former ADF pilot and runner-up on Alone Australia, noted there is still reason to hope.
“The kid’s background is a hugely important factor,” he explained. “In some ways, being young is actually an advantage because you don’t realize the seriousness.”
Atkinson noted that Gus’s hat would protect him from the elements and that the cooler season improves his survival odds.
Image credits: ABC News/Daniel Taylor
“Robert Bogucki went 12 days with no water in Broome. Dehydration wouldn’t be as fast right now compared to other times of year,” he said.
He urged authorities to continue aerial searches at night: “He could be hiding under a bush not seen from one angle, but captured from another.”
Netizens are also holding out cautious hope for the potential discovery and retrieval of Gus.
Image credits: South Australian Police
“Get every drone operator out there now. With a name like Gus, our little mate is still alive,” one commenter wrote.
“If that little fella is lost out there and got turned around, light a fire and throw on a few tyers, he may see the smoke, that’s what we did when living remote if someone didn’t return home at a designated time and searchers put on some postie whistles, so he may just hear you. Hope he’s ok,” wrote another.
Netizens shared their thoughts on Gus’ disappearance on social media
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