Police divers flown in to Cape York cattle station after disappearance of toddler

Police admit their fears for a toddler missing from a remote Cape York station are starting to become “grave” as additional resources join the search. WATCH VIDEO

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UPDATE: Police admit their fears for a toddler missing from a remote Cape York station are starting to become “grave” as additional resources join the search.

It’s nearly 48 hours since Ruben Scott, 2, was last seen near the homestead of Koolatah Station, east of Kowanyama about 5pm on Tuesday.

Cape Patrol Inspector Mark Henderson said it was “coming to that time where the fears we have for this young fellow start to become grave”.

“But we won’t stop. We will continue to try to reunite that child with their parents and grandparents.”

He said authorities had spent several hours reviewing footage from the search, including from a heat-sensing drone which was used for flyovers during the night.

“We’re also reviewing all of our GPS plots from our flyovers and our motorbikes and our ATVs and our foot and horseback searches,” he said.

Toddler Ruben Scott, 2, who has gone missing at Koolatah Station, with mum Natasha Scott.

EARLIER: The mother of a toddler missing on a remote Cape York cattle station says she is “trying to hold myself together” as the search ramps up for her little boy.

Ruben Scott, 2, was last seen near the homestead of Koolatah Station, east of Kowanyama about 5pm on Tuesday.

His mother Natasha posted a message on Facebook, thanking her friends and family for their support.

“As people know my little Ruby has gone missing,” she said.

“I have every person that can help helping to find him.

“I’m trying to organise heaps of things to help find him and am trying to hold myself together.

“I thank and appreciate all you guys are doing for us.”

Far North police Chief Supt Brian Huxley said the police divers were expected to arrive at the property about lunchtime today and “commence immediately”.

He said police had been liaising with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service about animals in the area.

“We know there are quite a few freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, wild pigs and dingoes,” he said.

“We’re very aware of that, the nature of the terrain itself and the conditions.”

Temperatures dropped to 16 degrees overnight and the large search party is also battling wind and rain.

“Everybody is 100 per cent focused on the search,” he said.

“The boy’s grandfather is on site and assisting.

“What we still want to concentrate on is absolutely the search. We’re looking at all possible scenarios associated with this and we’ve got appropriate resources on the ground.

“Our focus is continuing to do everything we can (to find him).”

Location of the remote station where a search is underway for the missing boy.

Along with helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, Mr Huxley said searchers were also using horses, all-terrain vehicles, four-wheel-drives, a police dog and the Special Emergency Response Team.

Cape Patrol Inspector Mark Henderson said it had been a “long night” as the search for the little boy continued 40 hours after he was last seen.

“We have a large number of resources here,” he said.

“There are seven helicopters coming and going and a myriad of SES staff and their resources, including a flare drone which we’ve been flying over last night and again in the early hours of this morning.”

He said nearly 20 people from neighbouring properties had joined the search.

“Everyone is pitching in.”

He said a light rain had started to fall which would make the search more difficult.

“We won’t stop. We will keep searching and looking and hopefully bring this family some peace.”

Toddler Ruben Scott, 2, who has gone missing at Koolatah Station.

EARLIER: Police divers, supported by snipers on croc-watch, will be flown into a remote Far North cattle station this morning to join the search for a missing toddler.

Ruben Scott, 2, was last seen near the homestead of Koolatah Station, east of Kowanyama about 5pm on Tuesday.

Dozens of family including mum Natasha, friends, neighbours, station employees and indigenous rangers have joined forces with emergency services in a desperate search of the 1700sq km station.

Far North police Chief Supt Brian Huxley confirmed last night divers would be sent in today to begin searching the multiple waterways around the property about 520km northwest of Cairns.

He said they would be given protection, understood to be police snipers, due to the risk of crocodiles in the area.

The search went on after dark last night, with the SES using a special “flare drone” which was able to probe the area during nightfall.

Far North SES regional director Wayne Coutts said hopes remained high the boy would still be found safe.

“Any child or elderly person (who goes missing), people get on edge and we just hope like hell we can do something,” he said.

“We’ve got to turn the place over a couple of times (when searching for a young child).

“They’re probably not going to be responding to people yelling out. They could be hiding or sleeping.”

Mr Coutts said extra SES volunteers would reach the station this morning.

He said they had been receiving messages from volunteers across the region and the state offering to join the search. Multiple helicopters owned by fellow graziers are again expected to be part of the aerial search today along with fixed wing aircraft.

Cape York police Insp Mark Henderson, who is leading the search on the ground, said they had assets from “across the Gulf”, along with indigenous rangers who had arrived from Kowanyama.

“We’re doing everything we can to find this young fellow,” he said. “It is challenging in such remote country.”

Originally published as Police divers flown in to Cape York cattle station after disappearance of toddler