Defense personnel have joined the extensive search for four-year-old Gus, who has been missing for six days in South Australia.The search area has been expanded as police move into what they describe as a “recovery phase,” acknowledging the significant time elapsed since the boy’s disappearance.
Gus was last seen playing near his family’s homestead and has not been located despite a large-scale operation involving police, State Emergency Service volunteers, and community members. The involvement of defence personnel signals a broadening of resources as hopes of finding Gus alive diminish wiht each passing hour. The search now focuses on “areas of higher probability” beyond the initial 2.5-kilometre radius.
Police confirmed they do not suspect foul play in the disappearance. The search continues to utilise a range of resources, including police helicopters, mounted officers, trail bikes, all-terrain vehicles, dogs, drones, police cadets, and an Aboriginal tracker.
“Hopefully, he’s hanging in there and alive, but we (are) in the recovery phase,” said a police spokesperson. “The fact that he’s been gone for over 100 hours, six days, that’s a long time for a young boy to be out in the elements.”
Gus has long, blond, curly hair and was last seen wearing a gray sun hat, a blue T-shirt with a yellow minion on the front, light grey long pants, and boots.His family earlier this week expressed their distress, stating they were “struggling to comprehend what has happened.” A boot-print was recently discovered during the ongoing search.
