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

[HoneyBunOne]

I just watched today’s press conference and the messaging felt very unusual.

The officer spent a large part of the briefing warning against speculation, directly referencing social media and even calling people “keyboard detectives.” That choice of words is telling. Normally police just sift through whatever comes in, filter out the noise, and keep going. They rarely stand at a podium and tell the public to stop theorising unless they are very aware that the official story they are presenting is already under strain.

What stood out even more is how this messaging sat alongside the rest of what was said. On the one hand, he repeated firmly that “everything we know is that Gus has wandered off onto the property and cannot be located.” On the other hand, he announced the search is being scaled back and stated that expert advice is Gus could not have survived this long. That is a very odd balance, presenting the outcome as grim with absolute certainty while still tying it only to the wandered off explanation even though no supporting evidence has been found.

There were also some telling slips in language. At one point he almost said “Gus’s disappearance” before stopping and correcting himself to “missing from the property.” That is a big difference. “Disappearance” carries the weight of something unexplained, possibly suspicious. “Missing from the property” pins it narrowly to the wandering off line. The fact he had to catch himself shows how tightly the wording is being managed.

Then came the question about major crimes detectives being on the property earlier in the week. His response was, “with the evidence we have at the moment we believe he has wandered off.” That phrasing is careful and conditional, not the language of someone convinced by their own theory. It leaves the door wide open for the narrative to change later. If police really believed their own line, would the answer not have been much firmer?

Put all of this together and the position police are taking is strange. They are doubling down on “wandered off” while scaling down the search, pre-emptively warning against speculation, correcting their own wording mid sentence, and carefully hedging when pressed. To me it feels less like confidence in the wandered off theory and more like deliberate narrative management while other possibilities are being worked quietly behind the scenes.

I didn't see it, so maybe shouldn't comment, but a few things come to mind.

In no particular order:
- How experienced is this person in presenting press conferences?
- How much experience in general does he have in policing?
- Is this his usual role?
- He must be very tired and stressed too.
- He no doubt has to be very careful with his words, especially given how much speculation this case has had online.
- I think this case, given the secrecy around Gus' identity in the beginning, and the fact he's literally been missing so long without a trace, make it ripe for the public to run wild with every word, action, look etc.

MOO

 

[SouthAussie]

Fair point, but one thing that stood out to me was how the presser opened by describing Gus as shy, adventurous, but someone who has never left the property any considerable distance. Then straight after that they stuck to the line that he has wandered off.

To me those two statements do not sit comfortably together. If even his family say he has never strayed far, it feels odd to keep presenting “wandered off” as the only explanation.

That is because everything they have points to Gus having wandered off. We don't know "everything they have".

Most small children don't wander off, until they do. We hear that again and again in cases of young children going missing ... whether they are later found or not.

imo

 

[SouthAussie]

I didn't see it, so maybe shouldn't comment, but a few things come to mind.

In no particular order:
- How experienced is this person in presenting press conferences?
- How much experience in general does he have in policing?
- Is this his usual role?
- He must be very tired and stressed too.
- He no doubt has to be very careful with his words, especially given how much speculation this case has had online.
- I think this case, given the secrecy around Gus' identity in the beginning, and the fact he's literally been missing so long without a trace, make it ripe for the public to run wild with every word, action, look etc.

MOO

It was Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott speaking at the presser. Google tells me that he joined the police force back in April 1987.
There are only a few police ranks higher than his (Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Chief of Police, I think).

Breaking: Police scale back search for missing 4yo boy Gus in outback SA

South Australian Police are scaling back the search for a four-year-old boy, who disappeared in the state’s mid-north almost a week ago.

www.abc.net.au

 

[MrJ]

Assistant Commissioner Parrott said an "astronomical" amount of resources, including police, SES, ADF personnel and community volunteers had been dedicated to the search.

"The search for Gus has probably been one of the largest, most intensive searches for a missing person conducted in South Australia in recent times," he said.

"We're confident we have done absolutely everything we can to locate Gus within the search area but despite our best efforts we have not been able to locate him."

He said the police presence at the property would be diminished and defence personnel would be stood down this afternoon.

But police will continue to investigate ongoing lines of inquiry.

Breaking: Police scale back search for missing 4yo boy Gus in outback SA

South Australian Police are scaling back the search for a four-year-old boy, who disappeared in the state’s mid-north almost a week ago.

www.abc.net.au

 

[packetgravy]

I really can't blame people for making wild and unlikely guesses. Apart from desperately wanting little Gus to be found safe, if we don't know what happened, how can we keep our own children safe?

Human nature and the very reason forums like WS exist.

 

[whitelilac]

This disappearance is making me think of a case, a boy (Harry, Harley? can't remember his full name) who was missing for three weeks before he was found, stuck in a chimney of an abandoned house nearby. He had climbed onto the roof, intending to enter the locked up house. There had been a massive search with helicopters, search teams and dogs. That house had been checked several times, even though there was no sign of forced entry. His death was determined to be accidental.

Sometimes a kid can squeeze into the most unlikely places.....I still wonder about all those structures on the property, and also any abandoned undiscovered wells etc.

This is so sad...

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Harley Dilly was the boy found in a chimney, he was 14.

 

[Juzlooking]

I keep thinking about what would make him wander off - especially when it’s been noted that it’s unusual for him to do so.
He appears very pale for a country kid, so perhaps they’re very strict about him wearing his hat at all times outdoors.
If it was windy, maybe he’s run off chasing his hat. Would be interesting to know in which direction that would send him.

 

[packetgravy]

This disappearance is making me think of a case, a boy (Harry, Harley? can't remember his full name) who was missing for three weeks before he was found, stuck in a chimney of an abandoned house nearby. He had climbed onto the roof, intending to enter the locked up house. There had been a massive search with helicopters, search teams and dogs. That house had been checked several times, even though there was no sign of forced entry. His death was determined to be accidental.

Sometimes a kid can squeeze into the most unlikely places.....I still wonder about all those structures on the property, and also any abandoned undiscovered wells etc.

This is so sad...

Yes, this is along the lines of my own thought process.

In these cases, unfortunately it tends to be the smell that will lead to the discovery of a body.

 

[Marg944]

The weather in Yunta on the day that little Gus disappeared:-

Past Weather in Yunta, South Australia, Australia — Yesterday or Further Back

Weather reports from the last weeks in Yunta with highs and lows

www.timeanddate.com

 

[Juzlooking]

The weather in Yunta on the day that little Gus disappeared:-

View attachment 617963

Past Weather in Yunta, South Australia, Australia — Yesterday or Further Back

Weather reports from the last weeks in Yunta with highs and lows

www.timeanddate.com

Doesn’t really seem likely then with winds that low. I thought I’d read that there were high winds on the day he disappeared.
Back to the drawing board as to considering what would’ve drawn him away.

 

[MrJ]

Here's the thing. It really could be anything and the lack of answers is something that we as humans want to be resolved. Especially when it's a missing four year old. But the truth is we don't know much and it honestly could've been anything that distracted him or he ran off or he played somewhere else. Frustrating we don't have the answers but unfortunately that is how it is at the moment

 

[MelmothTheLost]

To me those two statements do not sit comfortably together. If even his family say he has never strayed far, it feels odd to keep presenting “wandered off” as the only explanation.

Isn't it a normal stage of child development that he or she goes at some point from constantly sticking close or clinging to mummy to exploring further away from her? Is it possible that Gus has very recently gone through such a transition and there's therefore a degree of disagreement about his likely behaviour?

 

[ScottToorak]

Does anyone know the story with the parents of the boy?. Are they in his life ? If not why not?. If so, where were they at the time and why was the boy at the Station?.
The single footprint makes zero sense in my opinion as does the inability to find the boy if he really did wander off.
Compare the search efforts for the boy to those of the search for Dezi Freeman. Are we even in the same country where a search in one state for a missing boy is less important than the search for an alleged killer in another state?
I seriously believe the police know a lot more about the missing boy than is being shown to to the public.

 

[musicaljoke]

Does anyone know the story with the parents of the boy?. Are they in his life ? If not why not?. If so, where were they at the time and why was the boy at the Station?.
The single footprint makes zero sense in my opinion as does the inability to find the boy if he really did wander off.
Compare the search efforts for the boy to those of the search for Dezi Freeman. Are we even in the same country where a search in one state for a missing boy is less important than the search for an alleged killer in another state?
I seriously believe the police know a lot more about the missing boy than is being shown to to the public.

The parents are victims in this case. We do not sleuth them or make suggestive comments that this is somehow their fault.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

This disappearance is making me think of a case, a boy (Harry, Harley? can't remember his full name) who was missing for three weeks before he was found, stuck in a chimney of an abandoned house nearby. He had climbed onto the roof, intending to enter the locked up house. There had been a massive search with helicopters, search teams and dogs. That house had been checked several times, even though there was no sign of forced entry. His death was determined to be accidental.

Sometimes a kid can squeeze into the most unlikely places.....I still wonder about all those structures on the property, and also any abandoned undiscovered wells etc.

This is so sad...

I recall seeing a show about that, how sad. There was also another case, in the US I believe, where a kid got stuck down in a rolled up gym type mat in a school gym, trying to retrieve shoes he'd hidden there. He, too, sadly passed away I believe. Truth can be stranger than any sort of fiction we try to come up with.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

POLICE STATEMENT RE SEARCH FOR MISSING BOY GUS
SA Police

The following statement can be attributed to Assistant Commissioner, Ian Parrott.
Four-year-old Gus Lamont wandered off from the Oak Park Station homestead, approximately 43 kms south of the Yunta township on Saturday, 27 September.

Gus was seen outside at 5pm on Saturday playing on a mound of dirt by his grandmother. At 5.30pm she has gone outside to call him in, only to find him missing.

According to a family member, he is a shy but adventurous child. While a good walker, he has never left the family property previously.

Considerable police resources were committed to the initial search for Gus once we were alerted on Saturday evening. This included a Polair helicopter using infrared technology and initial ground searches around the homestead.

From early Sunday morning resources were increased considerably as the search intensified. This commitment has steadily increased since Sunday.

The search for Gus has been one of the largest, most intensive and most protracted searches ever undertaken by SAPOL.
The determination of every individual involved to find Gus has never wavered.

Like every member of the community who has been following this sad event, they too have been very much affected by what has happened.

They are all mothers, fathers or have young siblings and share the anguish and despair that Gus’ family have been going through since last Saturday night.

On Tuesday night senior police spoke to Gus’ family and prepared them for the fact that Gus may not have survived due to the passage of time, his age and the nature of the terrain he is missing in.

This assessment was based on medical evidence from a doctor who is recognised by the Australian rescue authorities as an expert opinion on time frame for survival.

While those involved in the search have been hoping for a miracle, over the past 48 hours the search has shifted to a recovery operation.

At this point, no trace of Gus has been located. No tangible pieces of evidence, such as footprints, a hat or clothing, have been located to identify any direction of travel to assist searchers.

We are confident that we have done all we can to locate Gus within the search area.

Despite our very best efforts to find Gus we have determined that the search will be scaled back from this afternoon.

The investigation will now be managed by the Missing Persons Investigation Section. This is where all longt erm cases such as this are managed and investigated and is standard practice.

In addition to the search activity there have been concurrent inquiries undertaken as a matter of course when a 4-year-old child goes missing. These inquiries are continuing.

We are investigating and looking to rule out every option at this stage.

SAPOL would like to thank everyone involved in the search for Gus.

The SES volunteers – an average of 30 per day - worked tirelessly and thought nothing of volunteering their time. Likewise, the ADF did not hesitate to provide 50 personnel for two days to assist.

 

[Serononin]

There are cases where the sides of a sand pit can collapse, burying whatever is in it.

Looking at the picture of where he was playing, I do think that's a definite possibility unfortunately

 

[HoneyBunOne]

POLICE STATEMENT RE SEARCH FOR MISSING BOY GUS
SA Police

The following statement can be attributed to Assistant Commissioner, Ian Parrott.
Four-year-old Gus Lamont wandered off from the Oak Park Station homestead, approximately 43 kms south of the Yunta township on Saturday, 27 September.

Gus was seen outside at 5pm on Saturday playing on a mound of dirt by his grandmother. At 5.30pm she has gone outside to call him in, only to find him missing.

According to a family member, he is a shy but adventurous child. While a good walker, he has never left the family property previously.

Considerable police resources were committed to the initial search for Gus once we were alerted on Saturday evening. This included a Polair helicopter using infrared technology and initial ground searches around the homestead.

From early Sunday morning resources were increased considerably as the search intensified. This commitment has steadily increased since Sunday.

The search for Gus has been one of the largest, most intensive and most protracted searches ever undertaken by SAPOL.
The determination of every individual involved to find Gus has never wavered.

Like every member of the community who has been following this sad event, they too have been very much affected by what has happened.

They are all mothers, fathers or have young siblings and share the anguish and despair that Gus’ family have been going through since last Saturday night.

On Tuesday night senior police spoke to Gus’ family and prepared them for the fact that Gus may not have survived due to the passage of time, his age and the nature of the terrain he is missing in.

This assessment was based on medical evidence from a doctor who is recognised by the Australian rescue authorities as an expert opinion on time frame for survival.

While those involved in the search have been hoping for a miracle, over the past 48 hours the search has shifted to a recovery operation.

At this point, no trace of Gus has been located. No tangible pieces of evidence, such as footprints, a hat or clothing, have been located to identify any direction of travel to assist searchers.

We are confident that we have done all we can to locate Gus within the search area.

Despite our very best efforts to find Gus we have determined that the search will be scaled back from this afternoon.

The investigation will now be managed by the Missing Persons Investigation Section. This is where all longt erm cases such as this are managed and investigated and is standard practice.

In addition to the search activity there have been concurrent inquiries undertaken as a matter of course when a 4-year-old child goes missing. These inquiries are continuing.

We are investigating and looking to rule out every option at this stage.

SAPOL would like to thank everyone involved in the search for Gus.

The SES volunteers – an average of 30 per day - worked tirelessly and thought nothing of volunteering their time. Likewise, the ADF did not hesitate to provide 50 personnel for two days to assist.


View attachment 617980

Some interesting new info there, including half an hour without eyes on him. I wonder if there were any staff onsite that day, and if so, do they also live there or do they come and go? 5pm seems to be a reasonable knock off time, especially as light would be fading shortly. Could Gus have climbed into a worker's vehicle and travelled offsite, unknown to the driver? Maybe he got scared and stayed hidden, sneaking out at his destination? A stretch, but worth looking at everything.

 

[Rocket333]

It just feels like somethings not adding up. You’d expect open and seemingly bare terrain like that to give up a clue, surely. A small kid in boots, moving across bare dirt should leave something behind. But there’s nothing? No footprints, no dropped hat, no visuals, no scent trail? The one footprint they did find might not even be from the same day.. He was reportedly home with his grandmother, and playing outside for half an hour before she checked on him. That seems like a really long time to not check on a 4 year old. Was she asleep or watching tv or something? Did something slip past her? In a place that quiet, you’d think a car or person coming up the drive would be heard. It’s heartbreaking and it’s also a bit strange, but maybe that’s just because we don’t have the full story yet.

Suddenly though I’m thinking about Cleo Smith, the little girl who vanished from the Blowholes in WA in 2021. I haven’t thought about her in years, but something about Gus’s case is bringing it back.

Just my thoughtsd.