Australian police have called off a search for a four-year-old boy who has been missing in the outback for almost three weeks, after fresh efforts failed to find any traces of the child.
Gus Lamont was last seen playing outside his home on a remote sheep station near Yunta, about 300km (186 miles) from Adelaide, on 27 September.
His grandmother left him alone for about half an hour before checking on him, only to find the boy missing, prompting one of the largest land and air searches in South Australian history.
Police – who do not suspect foul play – say they will continue investigating, but that the case has become a “recovery operation”.
Last week, authorities briefly wound down the search, only to restart it on Tuesday alongside 80 Australian Defense Force personnel.
Commissioner Grant Stevens said authorities were searching a wider area based on updated assessments from survivability, medical and search specialists, rather than any new information.
On Friday, police confirmed that the new search had not uncovered any signs of Gus.
“The fact Gus is a small child, the terrain is extremely rugged, harsh and subject to changing weather conditions has made the searching difficult and more challenging for those involved,” police said in a statement.
About 470 sq km – an area roughly twice the size of Edinburgh – has now been covered, and a 12-person taskforce set up earlier this week is expected to continue investigating. Police have not ruled out more searches of the property in the future.
Gus, who has been described as an adventurous but shy boy, was last seen wearing a grey hat, light grey long pants, boots and a blue long-sleeve T-shirt featuring a yellow Minion character. Police believe he wandered off.
The case has sparked huge interest across Australia, with images of the blond, curly-haired boy featured across local media and speculation running rife online.
It prompted police to ask that members of the public stop calling them with their “opinions”, and appeal for them to source information from credible places.
Their warning came after fake AI-generated images of the child spread on social media, which the BBC’s Verify team investigated.
Police earlier this week said the boy’s family remain “stoic” despite the tragic circumstances.
“You can imagine just how they are feeling… without having answers as to exactly where Gus is and what’s happened to him. This would be traumatic for any family,” Commissioner Stevens said.
Through a spokesperson, the Lamont family has previously said they are “devastated” by Gus’s disappearance.
“This has come as a shock to our family and friends, and we are struggling to comprehend what has happened,” Bill Harbison said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Gus’s absence is felt in all of us, and we miss him more than words can express.”