Authorities have drained a large dam on a remote South Australian sheep station as part of a renewed search for missing four-year-old boy, Gus Lamont but the operation has yielded no new clues.
Officers returned to Oak Park Station, the Lamont family’s property about 25 miles south of Yunta in the state’s Mid North, on Friday to revisit key areas of interest, News.com.au reports.
The operation focused on a large dam located roughly 650 yards from the homestead, which police divers had previously searched in the early days after Gus vanished. This time, investigators drained the 15-foot-deep dam to allow for a more thorough inspection of underwater vegetation and hard-to-reach areas.
“The draining of the dam will enable a comprehensive visual search to be completed,” South Australia Police said in a statement on Thursday. “The renewed search is being undertaken to rule out the possibility Gus may have drowned.”
By Friday evening, police confirmed the extensive effort had not revealed “anything of significance.”
“It took about three and a half hours to drain the large dam, pumping water at approximately 15,000 liters per minute,” police said. “A total of 3.2 million liters of water was removed, and divers thoroughly searched both the main and holding dams, clearing weed beds.”
Credit: South Australia Police.
After the inspection, the water was pumped back into the dam with minimal loss.
Major Crime Detectives Continue to Lead Task Force Horizon
The latest phase of the search involved officers from major crime, the water operations unit, and the State Emergency Service. The renewed effort follows weeks of searching since Gus was last seen playing in the sand near the homestead around 5PM. on September 27.
His disappearance triggered one of South Australia’s largest search operations in recent years, with police, local volunteers, and Australian Defence Force personnel scouring hundreds of square kilometres of rugged terrain, according to 9News.
Task Force Horizon, the team leading the investigation, has reviewed drone data and aerial imagery covering the property and surrounding bushland. Police said the latest drone imagery had not revealed any items of interest but confirmed further aerial imaging would continue for several weeks, covering an area up to 10 kilometres from the homestead.
Extensive Ground Searches Yet to Find Any Trace
Earlier in October, police concluded a four-day ground search following an initial 10-day operation. The most recent phase extended 5.5 kilometres from the Lamont homestead, covering about 95 square kilometres on foot.
“The original search area extended well beyond this with the mounted operations unit and PolAir,” police said, estimating the total area searched at approximately 470 square kilometres.
Despite the scale of the operation, police admitted they were surprised no personal items had been found. “Four-year-olds, they drop everything,” Yorke Mid North Superintendent Mark Syrus said earlier this month, per PEOPLE. “The fact we haven’t found a hat or a shoe or something is pretty unusual.”
Family ‘Devastated’ But Holding Onto Hope
Police say there is currently no evidence of foul play and that the family has been fully cooperative throughout the investigation.
“The family of Gus have continued to cooperate fully with police and are being supported by a victim contact officer,” the statement added. “Further searches of the property will be considered in the future as Task Force Horizon investigations continue.”
In a statement released through police on September 30, Gus’s family said they were “devastated” by his disappearance.
“This has come as a shock to our family and friends, and we are struggling to comprehend what has happened,” they 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.”
The family also thanked the police, emergency services, and community members who have joined in the search for their son.