South Australian police will drain a dam near a remote homestead to rule out the possibility that missing four-year-old Gus Lamont may have drowned after vanishing more than a month ago. The extensive search for Gus, who disappeared from his family’s Oak Park Station property in South Australia’s Mid North on September 27, has so far yielded no trace of the child.
Despite air, land, and water searches covering hundreds of square kilometres, investigators are still searching for answers. Police confirmed that the dam, located about 600 metres from the family home, will be completely drained on Friday to allow for a thorough inspection.
Divers had previously searched the 4.5-metre-deep waterway in the days immediately following the boy’s disappearance. “The draining of the dam will enable a comprehensive visual search to be completed, particularly in areas with underwater vegetation,” South Australia Police said in a statement on Thursday, as per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“The renewed search of the dam is being undertaken to rule out the possibility Gus may have drowned.” The initial search, one of the largest in the state’s history, lasted ten days and spanned roughly 470 square kilometres around Oak Park Station, about 40 kilometres south of Yunta.
Despite intensive ground and aerial efforts, no physical evidence or clues were found to indicate where Gus might have gone. Earlier this month, police and volunteers conducted a four-day search within a 5.5-kilometre radius of the property but again came up empty-handed.
Investigators have also been reviewing drone data and aerial imagery of the terrain surrounding the homestead, but have not identified anything of significance. Authorities said additional high-resolution aerial imaging is being conducted within a 10-kilometre radius of the property, a process expected to take several weeks.
Police expressed disappointment that the exhaustive search efforts have not yet revealed Gus’s whereabouts or any signs pointing to his movements after he disappeared. “Task Force Horizon is conducting multiple lines of inquiry to locate Gus,” the police statement said. “These investigations have not uncovered any evidence of foul play.”
The Lamont family continues to fully cooperate with investigators and is being supported by a victim contact officer. The draining of the dam represents one of the final physical searches planned in the immediate area. Police remain hopeful that this step could provide answers in a case that has deeply affected both the local community and the many volunteers who have joined the search for Gus Lamont.
