Gus Lamont missing near Yunta: Everything we know so far
As the hunt for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont draws to a close, so many questions remain. How could he vanish without a trace? Here’s what we know.
The disappearance of Gus Lamont has devastated and baffled not only his family but authorities and the wider public.
How can a little boy seemingly vanish without a trace?
As the search for Gus comes to an end today, here’s what we know so far about the tragic case:
The day Gus disappeared
August – affectionately known as Gus – was last seen at 5pm playing outside his family’s homestead ‘Oak Park’, 43km south of Yunta, on Saturday, September 27.
It is understood Gus’ grandmother Shannon was inside the home with the youngster’s one-year-old brother Ronnie.
Shannon discovered Gus was missing when she went to call him in at 5.30pm.
Gus’ mother Jessica and his other grandparent Josie were about 10km away, dealing with the station’s sheep.
The little boy’s father Joshua was not on the property at the time.
It is believed the family searched the property, which Shannon inherited from her parents Vincent Pfeiffer and Clair Jones, in an effort to find Gus before calling police to report him missing about 8.30pm.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the family.
The search operation
Gus’ disappearance prompted a large-scale search operation, involving SA Police, Australian Defence Force personnel, SES volunteers, trackers and local property owners.
Polair, drones, infra-red technology and satellite technology has been used to support the ground search.
It is one of the largest search operations in the state’s history.
Police suspended the initial ground search on October 3 after authorities combed more than 47,000ha of land.
However, on Tuesday this week, police declared a new task force, called Task Force Horizon, had been created in an effort to locate Gus.
They also announced the search for Gus would resume, in an area outside of the original search zone.
The search has been impeded by heat and strong winds. On Thursday, the search began at sunrise and concluded early, at midday, due to the conditions.
The operation concluded about midday on Friday.
Sadly, Gus has not yet been located.
Has any evidence been found?
No physical evidence has so far been uncovered in the case.
Two separate footprints were found but it was later determined they were not connected to Gus’ disappearance.
On Thursday, police acknowledged the harsh terrain of the region may have hampered efforts to uncover evidence.
“Police have been hopeful the extensive ground searches would uncover any evidence of Gus, but this has not been the case,” a police spokesperson said on Thursday.
“The fact Gus is a small child, the terrain is extremely rugged, harsh and subject to changing weather conditions has made the search difficult and more challenging for those involved.
“Each of these factors may have contributed to the lack of evidence discovered.
“The location also presents less opportunities for police searching for a missing person, compared with an urban environment.”
AI
The case has been plagued by several AI-generated pictures circulating on social media sites.
One AI-generated image, showing a blond boy being placed into a car, was shared thousands on times on Facebook.
That image included a caption falsely claiming a boy resembling Gus was seen with an “unfamiliar man” in a car about 100km from Yunta.
Missing persons experts warned such images can be “incredibly distressing for family and friends” and urged people to think before they share such content.
Reviews
The case has come under intense public scrutiny since Gus vanished almost three weeks ago.
Two reviews of the initial search operation have already been undertaken.
The first review was carried out by a STAR Group field search controller, who had extensive experience in conducting search operations for missing persons in isolated regions.
The second review was conducted by a Chief Superintendent with experience in carrying out complex, multifaceted police operations.
An SA Police spokesperson said “neither (review) identified any issues with the search”.
Such reviews are standard practice either during or after any significant police operation.
The spokesperson also said members from Task Force Horizon were “constantly reviewing all aspects of the search operation in consultation with independent search experts to ensure completeness”.
What happens now?
Police will continue to investigate Gus’ disappearance and say they may conduct further searches in the future.
While they believe Gus wandered off from his home, police are also seeking to rule out other possibilities as part of their due diligence processes.
