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

[Lucy.D]

I call this little guy Gus Gus in my head when I think about him
and I think of him often throughout the days
nothing could be worse for those who love him than the decision to transition to recovery process JMO
I'm glad there seems to be good community support for them

Is there any proof of the community support. Eg are there neighbours of Oak Park looking around, did they look around the property earlier while there was a chance Gus was alive?
Who and where are the people who love him. Are that still at the station, did they go out looking?

 

[confused.mp3]

But did they wait 3 hours to call? I have seen that LE arrived at 8.30 & 9.30 in msm. It would have taken quite awhile for them to get out there.

Yes, exactly. I haven’t found anything but I don’t know if there is any regular police officers in Yunta anymore. I know they have a station there but it says hours vary. The police station looks to be about a 45 minute drive at best from the property. Being nighttime, it would be very very unlikely that there was anyone on duty. Being a tiny tiny town, they likely would know the police officers personally and their schedule. I have no idea how long i’d wait to call, but the unique factors would have been a big component that decision.

 

[RiSpy]

In such a life & death situation I’d employ everything at my disposal.

It’s not one or the other for me, it’s all - in the hope they compliment each other & plug each others gaps.

Technology is not without its failings either.

agree! Was thinking about this yesterday after reading an article about the use of Indigenous Trackers. If my child was missing I think I would even resort to clairvoyants if every other avenue wasn't finding answers.

 

[LadyL]

Is there any proof of the community support. Eg are there neighbours of Oak Park looking around, did they look around the property earlier while there was a chance Gus was alive?
Who and where are the people who love him. Are that still at the station, did they go out looking?

[bbm]

I'm just going by what their family advocates said in their media interviews. I don't know the answers to your other questions.

 

[packetgravy]

But did they wait 3 hours to call? I have seen that LE arrived at 8.30 & 9.30 in msm. It would have taken quite awhile for them to get out there.

Yup.

In Gus’s case, the three hour delay may have reduced the window for a successful recovery and highlights the importance of immediate reporting. This is a critical factor for finding missing children, particularly in isolated environments where the risks are heightened.

From a statistical standpoint, immediate reporting is one of the strongest factors in reducing risk AND increasing odds of recovery. Waiting three hours does increase risk not just in theory but in practice (based on Australian data and cases of missing children in developed countries.)

Info and stats available below (Trigger warning, please consider contents before consuming):

https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rr008_1.pdf

 

[Lucy6226]

But did they wait 3 hours to call? I have seen that LE arrived at 8.30 & 9.30 in msm. It would have taken quite awhile for them to get out there.

More reason to call them straight away knowing they'd have to travel to get to them in my opinion. I doubt it took police 3hrs to get there.

Regardless of terrain or locality. If I couldn't find my 4yr old within 20mins I'd be calling the police. If we were talking about a teenager with some survival skills that would be a different matter. MOO

 

[packetgravy]

Yes, exactly. I haven’t found anything but I don’t know if there is any regular police officers in Yunta anymore. I know they have a station there but it says hours vary. The police station looks to be about a 45 minute drive at best from the property. Being nighttime, it would be very very unlikely that there was anyone on duty. Being a tiny tiny town, they likely would know the police officers personally and their schedule. I have no idea how long i’d wait to call, but the unique factors would have been a big component that decision.

The helicopter was deployed immediately after Gus was reported missing and police arrived one hour approx following the report.

Police statement regarding Yunta search

The following statement can be attributed to Assistant Commissioner, Ian Parrott.

www.police.sa.gov.au

I wonder how the outcome would look had Gus been reported missing three hours earlier.

I am perplexed by the apparent lack of urgency from a generational farming family who should be well aware of the dangerous terrain and risks involved, particularly with the loss of daylight. Not to mention a general knowledge of delayed emergency response times in an isolated area.


MOO

 

[Kemug]

It probably has no relevance whatsoever, but that Saturday was the first day of school holidays in South Australia.

 

[Total_C]

Sometimes it's hard for city folk to appreciate about the way of life for those living on enormous properties like this - they are very isolated, a LONG way from help, and as such are used to being self-sufficient in most situations.

The kid goes missing, well, he's only little and he can't have gone too far. We know he's on the property close by, we're just not sure where. We'd better go out and find him before it gets dark instead of waiting around for an hour or more for external help to arrive.

As it happens, they searched the property for three solid hours before admitting defeat and calling in help. I imagine they kept thinking they were sure to find him any at moment.

I get what you’re saying, and I don’t doubt people out there are used to being self-sufficient. But even on big properties, there’s a difference between being capable and being complacent. Once the sun’s gone it gets cold, it gets dark, and it happens faster than you think. I’ve worked on remote mine sites across SA, NT, QLD and NSW, and you develop a real appreciation for just how unforgiving it becomes after dark.

In fact, people might be surprised that a lot of rural property owners also work in the mines. My experience is that they’re some of the most conscientious and hardworking people you’ll ever meet. These are practical, capable people who don’t take unnecessary risks. They understand conditions and act early when things start to turn. That’s what makes this delay so difficult to square.

On 27 September the sun set in Yunta at 6:11 pm. By 6:40 pm it was dark, and by 7:10 pm it was full night. At 5:30 pm it was around 22°C, but by 8:30 pm it had dropped to about 12°C and kept falling. So by the time police were called, they’d already spent two and a half hours searching in near total darkness.

I understand the idea that they thought he couldn’t have gone far, but that thinking only holds up if you find him within minutes, not hours. And let’s not forget, Gus is four. He can’t self-rescue, he can’t problem-solve, and he can’t navigate back in the dark. Every minute that passes in those conditions makes the situation more dangerous.

<modsnip>

 

[Poedelini]

If they waited to call for help for 3 hours. It made me think that this was not the first time Gus was out of sight for a period of time. But again, it all depends on if that is true.

Jmo

 

[Marg944]

“Police said the family began a desperate search at the property for

three hours on Saturday before calling authorities,


who put up a helicopter with infrared technology, but to no avail.”

Why the search for a missing 4yo in SA's outback was so challenging

A week of large-scale land and air searches have found no clues leading to the whereabouts of four-year-old Gus in outback South Australia.

www.abc.net.au

 

[BreakingNews]

More reason to call them straight away knowing they'd have to travel to get to them in my opinion. I doubt it took police 3hrs to get there.

Regardless of terrain or locality. If I couldn't find my 4yr old within 20mins I'd be calling the police. If we were talking about a teenager with some survival skills that would be a different matter. MOO

I tend to agree. However we are talking about a remote area where people are very self reliant. Because they usually have to be self reliant. I doubt they would have even considered calling the police without searching for 1 hour. eg looking through the homestead and sheds etc. MOO

 

[kiwi50]

Did Gus leave his shovel at the sand pile.
Does a helicopter with thermal imaging pick up everything producing heat, ie sheep or other animals? I’m curious to know exactly what the helicopter saw.

 

[Rocket333]

A rough timeline:
Last seen at 5pm
Not outside at 5.30pm when Grandma checked
Family searched for roughly 3 hours before calling police
Police arrived 9-9.30pm

I’m now wondering if the 9:00 pm police call claim is verified somewhere or just speculative? I can’t find it in any reports.

Here’s the official SAPOL timeline source:
“Considerable police resources were committed to the initial search for Gus once we were alerted on Saturday evening.”

 

[Total_C]

I’m now wondering if the 9:00 pm police call claim is verified somewhere or just speculative? I can’t find it in any reports.

Here’s the official SAPOL timeline source:
“Considerable police resources were committed to the initial search for Gus once we were alerted on Saturday evening.”

What we know about search for missing boy on sheep station

Authorities are searching for a missing four-year-old boy on a sheep grazing station in the mid-north of South Australia. Here's what we know about the search so far.

www.abc.net.au

 

[SouthAussie]

If they waited to call for help for 3 hours. It made me think that this was not the first time Gus was out of sight for a period of time. But again, it all depends on if that is true.

Jmo

Gus has been described as adventurous.


Gus’s family describe him as a shy but adventurous child ....

Touching community gesture made in hope of finding missing outback boy

South Australians have been asked to do a small act to show support for Gus’ family.

7news.com.au

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I’m now wondering if the 9:00 pm police call claim is verified somewhere or just speculative? I can’t find it in any reports.

Here’s the official SAPOL timeline source:
“Considerable police resources were committed to the initial search for Gus once we were alerted on Saturday evening.”

I find one line in the above statement quite interesting, noting that the footprint was found on Sept 30th, and the statement made on Oct 3rd:

"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."

Why was the footprint specifically mentioned? In the way it's written (and bear in mind it is a carefully written statement, not a spoken, off-the-cuff press conference or the like) it sounds like they're denying the footprint was a tangible piece of evidence. I feel the footprint was intentionally mentioned. It would read just as well if it mentioned the hat or clothing. It could come down the way I'm interpreting the word "tangible" though, even though SAPOL themselves refer to a footprint(s) as something tangible.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Fresh insight into outback SA search for missing boy Gus Lamont | 7NEWS​

Family friend says he is certain the little boy is not on the property and has ruled out bizarre theories like an eagle taking him.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[packetgravy]

Just read up on some stats in an attempt to understand the police movements and investigative procedures following the grandmother’s report. (I have also shared the National SAR manual below, it’s a fantastic resource and insight into stats and strategies used. I highly recommend you take a look at the appendix’s relevant to the case if you are interested in how it all works.)

I’ll share some findings/areas of interest below.

Disclaimer: To simplify things for those who hate numbers and graphs, I pulled data from several sources and averaged out the results as best I can with (approximate) percentages. Aka, I’m geeking out. I love consuming information and stats but math is not my finest flex so do feel free to access the reports and data at one’s leisure.

Data from similar cases in rural Australia:

- 90% of children located after one week were deceased (exposure, dehydration and terrain related injuries are the main causes of death.)

- 90-95% of children <10 are found alive within 48 hours (this percentage drops slightly to 80-90% for children <6 within 24 hours) IMO the percentage relevant to Gus’s age-group highlights the urgency for immediate response/reporting and rapid search and rescue mobilisation, particularly in rural areas.)

- Within the subset of children found alive after one week, around 20-30% had been abducted. This accounts for roughly 1% of rural cases in Australia.

Overall averages for children <10 reported missing in rural Australia:
- 80-95% found alive
- 10-15% found deceased of which 80-90% are accidental/environmental and 10-20% are victims of homicide
- 1-2% cases overall (meaning found and not found) are confirmed homicide.


Sources:
key searches - annual reports, missing person cases and statistics

search and rescue manual -https://www.amsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/natsar-manual-february-2025-final-v2.pdf
(Page 457 - stats and strategies relevant to Gus’s age-group)

SAPOL - Home

www.police.sa.gov.au

https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/sr

Homepage | National Missing Persons

www.missingpersons.gov.au

 

[Sarahlou]

In some ways this case makes me think of Lilly and Jack Sullivan. One footprint found, absolutely no trace of the kids or any actual signs/evidence that they wandered off.