Desperate search for four-year-old boy missing in Australian outback enters sixth day

A four-year-old boy missing in the Australian outback since Saturday afternoon has been pictured by police for the first time as dozens of military personnel joined the desperate search, now in its sixth day.

Around 50 Australian Defence Force personnel on Thursday helped comb a region some 25 miles south of the southern town of Yunta where August, known as “Gus”, was last seen by his grandmother, playing at his homestead over the weekend.

“We’re going to be walking the next couple days, we’ll still have the police helicopter, we’ll still have the mounted here continuing on the search, hoping that Gus has crawled into a hole somewhere and he’s just still hanging in there,” Superintendent Mark Syrus said on Thursday.

He acknowledged that authorities are in what he termed the “recovery phase” and preparing the family for the worst.

Authorities found a shoe print around 500 metres from the property on Tuesday. They said it had a “very similar” pattern to the shoes Gus was wearing when he went missing. Police also admitted it “could have been there a week”.

“We just have got to be careful that we don’t funnel all our attention on that one little clue,” Syrus said. “We have still got to look at the big picture and continue on looking at areas where he possibly could have gone.”

“A four-year-old lad, they just don’t disappear into thin air,” he acknowledged, adding: “Our job is to try and find which way he’s gone and once we find those little clues, then it gives a bit of an idea.”

Search teams focused on the sheep homestead after the footprint was discovered, but found no further clues.

Without leads, they said they would be extending the search beyond a 2.5 kilometre circumference of the homestead. Yunta is around 170 miles north east of the state capital Adelaide.

Police cadets, State Emergency Service volunteers, an Aboriginal tracker and a community of family members have joined the search in the days since the disappearance.

The family said earlier this week that they were “struggling to comprehend what has happened”.

In a statement shared by police, they said: “We 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.

“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.

“At this time, we kindly ask for privacy as we focus all our energy on supporting the search and working closely with the police.”

Gus was last seen playing in the sand around 5pm on Saturday. He was last seen wearing a grey sun hat, a cobalt blue t-shirt featuring a yellow ‘Minion’ character, light grey long pants, and boots, police said, adding that he had curly, blond hair.

Yorke Mid North police are leading the search, supported by specialist resources including STAR Group, Water and Mounted Operations Units, PolAir, and Dog Operations.

Police continue to urge anyone who may have information that could assist the search to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or call 1800 333 000, quoting reference #250513.