Australian police have called off a search for a four-year-old boy who has been missing in the outback for almost three weeks, after fresh efforts failed to find any traces of the child.
Gus Lamont was last seen playing outside his home on a remote sheep station near Yunta, about 300km (186 miles) from Adelaide, on 27 September.
His grandmother left him alone for about half an hour before checking on him, only to find the boy missing, prompting one of the largest land and air searches in South Australian history.
Police - who do not suspect foul play - say they will continue investigating, but that the case has become a recovery operation. Last week, authorities briefly wound down the search, only to restart it on Tuesday alongside 80 Australian Defense Force personnel.
Commissioner Grant Stevens stated that authorities were searching a wider area based on updated assessments from specialists, rather than new information. However, by Friday, police confirmed that the remnants of the new search had not uncovered any signs of Gus.
The challenging terrain and harsh weather conditions have posed significant difficulties for search teams. Thus far, approximately 470 square kilometers have been covered, and a 12-person taskforce has been established to continue the investigation.
Gus, described as adventurous but shy, was last seen wearing a grey hat, light grey long pants, boots, and a blue long-sleeve T-shirt with a yellow Minion character.
The situation has sparked widespread media coverage across Australia, resulting in various unverified claims and speculation online. Police have urged the public to refrain from sharing opinions and to refer to credible sources for information. Authorities have also dealt with the spread of fake AI-generated images of the child on social media.
The Lamont family remains devastated by Gus's disappearance, expressing their struggle to comprehend the situation through a spokesperson. Commissioner Stevens empathized with the family's feelings of trauma, saying, You can imagine just how they are feeling... without having answers as to exactly where Gus is and what's happened to him.
As the search concludes, discussions about potential future operations continue, and police have not dismissed the notion of further searches on the property.
