The desperate hunt for four-year-old Gus Lamont, who vanished from his grandparents’ remote property near Yunta, South Australia, continues with no new breakthroughs.
Gus went missing on September 27 while playing on a mound of dirt, sparking a massive search that has gripped the state.
Despite an exhaustive six-day search that was briefly called off last Friday, authorities resumed operations four days later.
However, as of Wednesday afternoon, SA Police confirmed that the search had yielded no sign of the boy.
Harsh Conditions Challenge Search Teams
Police issued an update explaining that the ongoing search would continue under restricted hours due to extreme weather.
“The second day of the continuing search for missing four-year-old Gus in the State’s Mid North has concluded with no evidence being located,” the statement read.
More than 100 personnel—including SA Police, Australian Defence Force members, and SES volunteers—have been covering 20 to 25 kilometres each day in scorching heat, with temperatures reaching 36 degrees and strong northerly winds complicating efforts.
The search is set to start at sunrise and finish by midday to protect those involved.
Police Focus on Exhaustive Property Search
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens told radio station FIVEAA that the decision to resume searching was not based on new leads but was intended to leave no stone unturned.
“We have nothing to suggest foul play at this time, but we’re obligated to consider every possibility,” Stevens said.
“Our efforts are focused on comprehensively searching the property and recovering Gus for his family.”
The search has covered an estimated 470 square kilometres—equivalent to roughly 100 city centres.
Stevens described the family as “stoic” but acknowledged the trauma they are enduring without answers.
Police have not confirmed whether the search will continue beyond Friday.
Fresh Concerns Over Another Missing Person
Adding to the urgency, authorities are also investigating the disappearance of 40-year-old Benjamin, who went missing on September 26—just a day before Gus.
Benjamin was last seen driving erratically on the Stuart Highway south of Glendambo, about two hours from Gus’ home, in a 2006 Hyundai Getz with Western Australian plates 1IGG659.
Details about Benjamin, including his full name and family situation, remain unclear.
His abandoned vehicle was found in dense scrub near Wirraminna on September 27, the same day Gus went missing.
Despite a wide-scale search using SES volunteers, drones, and local trackers, Benjamin has yet to be located.
Police Appeal for Information
Authorities have urged anyone who traveled the Stuart Highway between Port Augusta and Glendambo on September 26 to come forward, especially if they have dashcam footage.
Several truck drivers reported noticing Benjamin’s erratic driving that afternoon.
Even as the search for Gus faced temporary scaling back, police renewed their appeal for information regarding Benjamin’s whereabouts.
The overlapping disappearances of the boy and the man continue to raise concern among locals and authorities alike.