Australia AUSTRALIA - 4YO AUGUST (GUS) Missing from rural family home in Outback, Yunta, South Australia, 27th Sept 2025

[TMich6811]

My first thought was that a gap had opened under the sandpit, but looking at the terrain it looks like the land would be too hard and dry for that to happen imo. I'm certainly no expert living in the very wet and cold UK though

Or he dug a hole - I haven’t followed details for time alone there or anything or what this sand pit is like

I just hope they’ve explored it

 

[Lucy6226]

The lack of photo isn't suspicious to me. Any member of public is going to question a 4 year old wandering alone, his face doesn't matter to the public. So long as police and searchers have an idea.

This lad could be part of a family court order or have a sibling or another child in the house where the location needs to be kept private.

 

[jypsijemini]

I don’t believe this is anything like William Tyrell. The size of the property is approximately 60 sq kilometres, the homestead kilometres inside, it’s isolated. A vehicle would be necessary and it would be heard and the dust created would be noticed.

They are doing whatever they can to find their child.

Sorry, I should have elaborated when I suggested there may be parallels.

I personally don't believe the version of events as told by William's foster parents. In my amateur opinion, there was an accident or incident which was covered up using a "disappearance/abduction" story.

IMO I don't think William or Gus were abducted, but I'm not ruling it out either. As it stands, I believe Gus just genuinely wandered off and got lost. But there's also the possibility, albeit unlikely, that something else happened.

I was just "thinking out loud" in my post.

I drew premature parallels because so far in Gus' case, the official story and search has been solely focused on a local disappearance that assumes Gus got lost on his own, which I assume is based on the grandmother's statement. Similarly, William's foster parents drove the narrative that William HAD to have been abducted because he wasn't found in the hours immediately after he disappeared.

Williams' foster parents also withheld their names from the public, which on it's own doesn't mean they are guilty or hiding anything, but it was another detail which has been mirrored in this case and therefore, raised my eyebrows.

Additionally, William's foster mother pled guilty to two counts of common assault after William's disappearance, which also doesn't prove she did anything to William, however it raises the question whether they were isolated incidents or indications that point towards a pattern of behaviour.

Without knowing more about Gus' family, we have no idea whether he was safe at home or not. Either way, we'd be assuming and speculating.

Everything I've posted (aside from links) are just my opinion. I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but I think it's important in ANY case to consider and weigh up any and all possibilities until the evidence or findings prove otherwise.

 

[jypsijemini]

Are there any predators out there that could snatch him without leaving evidence behind ?

Possible, but IMO unlikely considering this area is utilised by large sheep farming stations (if I've understood correctly). I'm just assuming here but I'd think if it's safe enough for sheep, there's probably little to no risk of predators.

I could absolutely be wrong though. Maybe the presence of large numbers of sheep attract dingoes. MOO.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

The lack of photo isn't suspicious to me. Any member of public is going to question a 4 year old wandering alone, his face doesn't matter to the public. So long as police and searchers have an idea.

This lad could be part of a family court order or have a sibling or another child in the house where the location needs to be kept private.

The potential court order issue is a possible reason to look outside the "wandered from home" scenario. IF there is any kind of reason beyond pure privacy for not releasing an image of Gus, then police really need to consider all avenues, including something like an abduction by someone he knows. Yes, you would likely hear a vehicle coming a mile away in those surroundings, but perhaps it's time to consider other ways for someone to get close enough to the house. Maybe a motorbike (still very noisy), walking from a distance away, horseback, driving nearby and camping for a period of time, etc. Not entirely likely, but if he were my child I'd want every last avenue explored.

Also, we don't know how long he was left to play without eyes on him. We also don't know what Grandma was doing at the time he disappeared. Could she be hard of hearing? Have the TV or music up loud? Fell asleep? AFAIK, there's been no elaboration on the situation beyond the fact he wasn't where she expected him to be when she checked on him.

MOO

 

[MrJ]

the lack of details seems suspicious but I wouldn’t worry too much about that. And not releasing a photo I suppose makes sense for privacy reasons. But I hope this child is found soon because three days missing is going to be an ordeal

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Possible, but IMO unlikely considering this area is utilised by large sheep farming stations (if I've understood correctly). I'm just assuming here but I'd think if it's safe enough for sheep, there's probably little to no risk of predators.

I could absolutely be wrong though. Maybe the presence of large numbers of sheep attract dingoes. MOO.

I am by no means a farmer, and do not live in the outback, but I do have sheep. We have lost lambs to foxes before, even when their mothers are close by, and they're close to our house. Much closer than I imagine they would be on a huge farm like this one. I can't speak for dingos though, but I imagine much the same.

For those than aren't Australian, check out the Azaria Chamberlain case. A dingo took a baby out of a tent in the Australian outback many year ago. Obviously a 4 year old is much larger than a baby, but if he had fallen or was asleep or something like that, then perhaps he would be an easier target for them.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

The lack of photo isn't suspicious to me. Any member of public is going to question a 4 year old wandering alone, his face doesn't matter to the public. So long as police and searchers have an idea.

This lad could be part of a family court order or have a sibling or another child in the house where the location needs to be kept private.

The potential court order issue is a possible reason to look outside the "wandered from home" scenario. IF there is any kind of reason beyond pure privacy for not releasing an image of Gus, then police really need to consider all avenues, including something like an abduction by someone he knows. Yes, you would likely hear a vehicle coming a mile away in those surroundings, but perhaps it's time to consider other ways for someone to get close enough to the house. Maybe a motorbike (still very noisy), walking from a distance away, horseback, driving nearby and camping for a period of time, etc. Not entirely likely, but if he were my child I'd want every last avenue explored.

 

[LadyL]

Sand can essentially create a sand hole that causes suffocation and collapses on its self

But I don’t know if this is a sand pit that could

oh wow I've never heard of that

 

[Warwick7]

His family have declined to release an image of him.

Crews to search into the night for boy, 4, missing from remote homestead

Police are searching dams and tanks for a four-year-old boy who went missing on his rural homestead over th...

www.9news.com.au

What??!!

 

[LadyL]

My first thought was that a gap had opened under the sandpit, but looking at the terrain it looks like the land would be too hard and dry for that to happen imo. I'm certainly no expert living in the very wet and cold UK though

is the sandpit you refer to like a plastic sandbox that little kids play in in their backyard?

 

[LadyL]

I am by no means a farmer, and do not live in the outback, but I do have sheep. We have lost lambs to foxes before, even when their mothers are close by, and they're close to our house. Much closer than I imagine they would be on a huge farm like this one. I can't speak for dingos though, but I imagine much the same.

For those than aren't Australian, check out the Azaria Chamberlain case. A dingo took a baby out of a tent in the Australian outback many year ago. Obviously a 4 year old is much larger than a baby, but if he had fallen or was asleep or something like that, then perhaps he would be an easier target for them.

I think the whole world has heard of that case. I have in Canada. It's famous IMO.

 

[Warwick7]

Sand can essentially create a sand hole that causes suffocation and collapses on its self

But I don’t know if this is a sand pit that could

I HAVE heard of this....
Anymore nothing would surprise me.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I think the whole world has heard of that case. I have in Canada. It's famous IMO.

I figured it might be widespread, and I guess you have to be of a certain "vintage" to recall it. It would indicate dingoes could be involved in some way. MOO

 

[Lucy6226]

is the sandpit you refer to like a plastic sandbox that little kids play in in their backyard?

No it wouldn't happen in a plastic one unless it was very deep, but they are usually shallow. It would be more of a self built one, a wooden frame to contain the sand straight on the ground type. They can be made deeper for digging...which is where the danger comes in

 

[LadyL]

No it wouldn't happen in a plastic one unless it was very deep, but they are usually shallow. It would be more of a self built one, a wooden frame to contain the sand straight on the ground type. They can be made deeper for digging...which is where the danger comes in

ok now I can picture it thank you
I wasn't sure if a sandpit was some naturally occurring phenomenon in the outbacks of Australia or just kid's play equipment in the backyard

 

[HoneyBunOne]

His family have declined to release an image of him.

Crews to search into the night for boy, 4, missing from remote homestead

Police are searching dams and tanks for a four-year-old boy who went missing on his rural homestead over th...

www.9news.com.au

A couple of interesting things I took from this article:

"This poor lad just four years old and very close to the family so they're devastated."
Interesting wording. Why would a 4 year old NOT be very close to his family? I also noted the words "the family". It seems he may have been at the Grandparents house, or at least the Grandmother's house. No mention of a Grandfather I believe. Does this mean he was very close to the family that lived at this property (including Grandma), and it wasn't his home? Where is his home, and why was he here? Were his parents also staying here? If he is very close to his Grandmother, then perhaps home wasn't so far away as to not be able to have a close relationship. Maybe the relationship was more online if there was physical distance between them? Was he trying to get back home? Answers to these questions could be interesting if this is not just a case of wandering off.

Crews have used trail bikes, ATVs, horses and a drone and a helicopter to scour a 2.5km radius from where Gus was last seen.
Why such a small radius? Yes, he's only 4, and can only go so far, but this seems inadequate to me. It's been more than 48 hours since he was last seen when this article was released. Surely a wider search area has been established, especially considering there has been nothing found so far?

I get that wording can sometimes be taken the wrong way, or carelessly written, but these are just my observations.

***EDIT*** I read some of the earlier articles, and it appears this was his home, so some of my questions don't really apply if that's true.

 

[Lucy6226]

ok now I can picture it thank you
I wasn't sure if a sandpit was some naturally occurring phenomenon in the outbacks of Australia or just kid's play equipment in the backyard

To be fair it absolutely could, I have no idea!
But to me in the UK it's play equipment, either plastic tub kind (classic turtle) or wooden frame type.

 

[butterstick]

At this stage after days of not finding him surely a photo is needed, just in case somebody in the country spots him in another location altogether (for what ever reason). The longer that is left the less chance people have of remembering?

Crews have used trail bikes, ATVs, horses and a drone and a helicopter to scour a 2.5km radius from where Gus was last seen.
Why such a small radius? Yes, he's only 4, and can only go so far, but this seems inadequate to me.

I figure that radius is what they could comfortably manage thoroughly? Going wider would make the effort exponential. And they have drones looking too. If he's close to his house chances are he's covered by something and manual search is valuable, but if he is further away he'd be more likely on the ground and visible by drone?

"This poor lad just four years old and very close to the family so they're devastated."
Interesting wording. Why would a 4 year old NOT be very close to his family? I also noted the words "the family".

Could be he was being cared for. That's one reason you might word it that way, I guess. Or simply that the person speaking was stressed and stumbling their words a little.

 

[MrJ]

Missing boy's family releases statement as search continues in mid-north SA (South Australia)

'Our hearts are aching': Missing boy's family releases statement as search continues

The devastated family of a missing four-year-old boy has released a statement saying it is holding on to hope "he will be found and returned safely" as authorities and community members continue the search in mid-north South Australia.

www.abc.net.au