Desperate Search for Little Gus: ‘Hope Fading’ as Dam is Drained in Remote South Australia
- Police drain large dam on family property in bid to find four-year-old Gus, missing for over a month
- Nothing of significance found as dam is emptied, but police vow to continue search
- Gus’s family ‘devastated’ and ‘holding onto hope’ as investigation into his disappearance continues
Police in South Australia have taken a dramatic new step in the search for four-year-old Gus, who vanished from his family’s remote sheep station over a month ago. In a desperate bid to find the little boy, a large dam on the property has been drained, but so far, nothing of significance has been found.
The dam, which is about 4.5m deep, was emptied in a three-and-a-half hour operation, with police divers scouring the area for any sign of Gus. “The draining of the dam will enable a comprehensive visual search to be completed, particularly areas with underwater vegetation,” police explained. “This follows extensive ground and air searches of the area surrounding the homestead since Gus disappeared.”
Despite the draining of the dam, police have found nothing to indicate what happened to Gus, who was last seen playing in the sand on his family’s property at about 5pm on September 27. “The family of Gus have continued to co-operate fully with police and are being supported by a victim contact officer,” police said.
The investigation into Gus’s disappearance has been one of the most extensive in recent history, with dozens of police, volunteers, and rescue teams scouring the surrounding countryside and nearby waterways. A skilled tracker and almost 50 Australian Defence Force personnel have also been called in to assist.
“We are devastated by the disappearance of our beloved Gus,” the family said in a statement. “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.”
As the search for Gus continues, police are holding onto hope that they will find the little boy safe and sound. But with each passing day, the fear grows that the worst may have happened. “Four-year-olds, they drop everything,” Yorke Mid North Superintendent Mark Syrus said. “The fact we haven’t found a hat or a shoe or something is pretty unusual.”
Police are urging anyone with information about Gus’s disappearance to come forward. The investigation is ongoing, and Task Force Horizon is conducting multiple lines of inquiry into the case.