August ‘Gus’ Lamont: Footprint found in search missing four-year-old ruled out by police

A footprint initially thought to be missing from four-year-old August ‘Gus’ Lamont has been ruled out by police as they further scale up their massive search in South Australia’s unforgiving Outback.

Gus was last seen by his grandmother in a blue petite shirt playing on some dirt at her family’s Oak Park station house before disappearing around 5-5:30 on Saturday, September 27.

According to Commissioner Ian Parrott, the alert was raised and what emerged was “one of the largest, most intense and longest-running searches ever undertaken” by South Australian police.

A small footprint found last Tuesday, just 500 meters from where Gus was last seen, has sparked hope that he might be found.

At the time, Superintendent Mark Syrus said authorities were “buoyed” by Find.

But this appears to be discounted with further investigation.

“At this point, no traces of GUS have been found. No tangible pieces of evidence, such as footprints, hats or clothing, have been found to determine any direction of travel to assist searchers,” Commissioner Parrott said in a statement Tuesday. he said.

“We are confident that we did our best to find GUS in the search area.

“Despite our best efforts to locate GUS, we have determined that the search will be scaled back this afternoon.”

More than a week later, with no sign of Gus – described by his family as shy but adventurous – a miracle had faded and the search, covering 47,000ha, had turned into one of a rescue mission.

Now it will be scaled up further and handed over to the missing person investigation department.

The senior constable spoke to Gus’ family on Tuesday to prepare them for the fact that he may not have survived due to the passage of time, his age and the nature of the land on which he disappeared.

Commissioner Parrott said that in addition to the search, police were undertaking the usual investigations, which were “of course a matter of course when a 4-year-old goes missing”.

“We are exploring and looking to rule out every option at this stage.”

Commissioner Parrott said Gus’ disappearance affected everything involved in the search.

“The determination of every individual involved to find Gus never wavered,” he said.

“Like every member of the community following this tragic incident, they are deeply affected by what has happened.

“They are all mothers, fathers or teenage siblings, and they share the pain and despair that Gus’ family has been experiencing since last Saturday night.”

The police update comes after an SES volunteer assisting with the search claimed GUS was still at the sheep station.

Jason O’Connell walked through Oak Park Station with his wife, Jen, and Advertiser“Just wide, open land.”

“There really isn’t much there and with our lights I was surprised because we couldn’t find anything,” said the 50-year-old former Voice volunteer.

“Not on that property.”

while talking 7NEWSMr O’Connell said it was incredibly rare not to find a single trace of a missing person.

“I just don’t understand how (Gus) got lost,” he said.