A frantic search for missing boy August “Gus” Lamont has stretched into its fourth day — with no sign of the four-year-old who vanished from a remote sheep station in South Australia’s Mid North.
The alarm was raised just after 5pm on Saturday, sparking a massive search across the isolated 60sqkm property, near Yunta, surrounded by outback-like conditions and dense scrub.
Gus has been missing for more than two days.
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On Tuesday, spokesperson Bill Harbison said the family “are devastated by the disappearance of our beloved Gus on Saturday afternoon”.
“This has come as a shock to our family and friends, and we are struggling to comprehend what has happened,” he said.
“Gus‘s 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.
“We are incredibly grateful to the South Australia Police, emergency services and the many organisations and community members, neighbours and friends who have come together to help find Gus.”
Police said they are throwing everything at the search, with more than 100 personnel including officers, SES crews, volunteers, drones, helicopters, dogs, horses, police divers and aircraft scouring the vast outback property.
August Lamont, 4, was last seen at a sheep station’s homestead about 5pm on Saturday. Credit: 7NEWS
“We’re still hopeful that we’re going to have success,” Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.
“Our intention at the moment is to continue searching until we find Gus.”
Sniffer dogs have failed to pick up a trail, and the terrain — while seemingly open — has proven “deceptively large and challenging,” Stevens said.
Gus, who was last seen playing at the family homestead, about 40km south of Yunta, is described as Caucasian with long, curly blond hair.
He was wearing a grey sun hat, a cobalt blue T-shirt with a yellow Minion character on the front, light grey long pants and boots.
Despite the massive effort, search teams remain hampered by one critical unknown — they don’t know which direction Gus wandered off in.
“We don’t have a direction of travel, having to cover a 360-degree angle,” Superintendent Mark Syrus said.
“That’s a challenge for us.”
But hope remains to find Gus safe and possibly “curled up under a bush”.
“We will continue searching into the day and night for Gus,” Syrus said.
“The search is continuing, we have a number of boots on the ground.”
[SRC] https://7news.com.au/news/desperate-and-challenging-outback-search-for-missing-four-year-old-enters-fourth-day-c-20187690
