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

  • #841
Did mum, grandma and grandpa all see Gus playing in the sand because that is very important information?
Have they dug through the sand pit? It is possible that Gus may have accidentally buried himself if he dug a large hole and the walls collapsed on him??

Even adults have been caught out like this and died…. It wouldn’t take much for a small child to be trapped in this way….

JMO ..
 
  • #842
New South Wales and Queensland are the only states in Australia that have cadaver dog's. IMO they wouldn't have been called in at this stage.

A highly specialised policing area, New South Wales is one of only two states in Australia with a cadaver detection dog capability — the other being Queensland.

Thanks for the info

I hope this is the next step? Can't think of any reason not to do it, or why it hasn't happened already. Besides jurisdiction paperwork loaning the dogs, I guess. Just do it.
 
  • #843
I am really interested in the family dogs because I am trying to figure out what was happening at 5 to 5:30 pm, while Gus was outside playing.

My daughter has two Aus cattle dogs, which I take care of on many weekends. When my granddaughter is in the yard, the 2 dogs are always at her side when possible. If she began to wander off, I am convinced they would follow her or come get me and begin barking and trying to notify me that she took off.

That's why I was wondering about the dogs. Was grandpa out with the sheep and the dogs were there too? Or was grandpa at home, inside the house? I am curious about where the dogs were because 'herding type' working dogs usually herd children as well, as they take on the responsibility themselves. IMO
Our ranch dogs (herding breeds) usually left the kids alone. They were tired from working all day! I can only think of two we had out of many that seemed to “police” the kids. Just another POV
 
  • #844
Sorry, but why is it so important the dog’s breed? Seems to be a reoccurring topic here.

They’re likely working dogs, yes, and often they are kept in kennels, but not always. Often dogs bark, but not always, especially if they were familiar with workers coming and going. Unfortunately, I don’t think digging into the dogs further will help provide clarity. Just my opinion!
Because some breeds are great with kids. My sister at 3 would wander on our property for hours. Just her and our Kelpie. He was soooo protective of her. He was hopeless with cattle, but the best babysitter ever.
 
  • #845
Here’s a thought I had while trying to sleep lastnight..
I have a 4 year old and I believe the absolute ONLY reason he would wander off is if he saw something and followed it.
I did this myself as a child and was lost for afew hours.

Anyway so I was thinking, what could interest a 4 year old to follow.. now I’m not sure if these animals are around those parts so maybe someone can give some insight.
I was thinking, maybe a wombat?
Imagine Gus sees a wombat and follows it, it then goes into its hole or burrow or whatever it’s called, & Gus tries to go in after it. Then he gets stuck in there, or the wombat does what they do if something goes inside their burrow.. not gonna say what they do but if you’re interested you can google it, it’s pretty graphic to think about but this could explain why he hasn’t been found ?
There would be a scent though I would think, but yeah what do you guys think? Would this be a plausible thing that could happen ?
 
  • #846
If authorities say Gus isn't on the property, then he's off the property. The question then becomes, how did he get off the property?

A 4 year old can walk how fast, and how far? It's a guess, but 3 or 4 kph maybe. And then the question for me is, would a 4 year old hold that pace for an hour before sitting down, would he/she walk steady for 3 or 4 hours in a straight line, placing the toddler 12 to 16 kilometers from the start point?

Then there's the raptor, that eagle hawk. Well, I doubt that bird picked Gus up, the young lad would be simply too heavy.

Dingos? No sign of that, no drag marks, nothing reported on that as far as I can see.

So, if this boy wasn't 'disappeared' at a time earlier than reported, and he wasn't kidnapped, and he wasn't taken somewhere by someone, and he didn't walk away, then my only conclusion is, he's somewhere near the point of his disappearance. I've read numerous accounts of searches that totally missed the persons being sought, eventually to be found close by.
 
  • #847
Yes, that's what I was thinking. Likely only tracking dogs to have been used so far.
Both sniffer dogs and cadaver dogs have been reported in the press…..

Cadaver dogs were mentioned on a television news bulletin, and I remember thinking have the media just assumed they were cadaver dogs???


More than 100 police, SES and community volunteers have been involved in the daily search effort, assisted by sniffer dogs, drone and helicopter assets.


IMO
 
  • #848
Here’s a thought I had while trying to sleep lastnight..
I have a 4 year old and I believe the absolute ONLY reason he would wander off is if he saw something and followed it.
I did this myself as a child and was lost for afew hours.

Anyway so I was thinking, what could interest a 4 year old to follow.. now I’m not sure if these animals are around those parts so maybe someone can give some insight.
I was thinking, maybe a wombat?
Imagine Gus sees a wombat and follows it, it then goes into its hole or burrow or whatever it’s called, & Gus tries to go in after it. Then he gets stuck in there, or the wombat does what they do if something goes inside their burrow.. not gonna say what they do but if you’re interested you can google it, it’s pretty graphic to think about but this could explain why he hasn’t been found ?
There would be a scent though I would think, but yeah what do you guys think? Would this be a plausible thing that could happen ?
If we assume there to be no sinister reason for Gus's disappearance, meaning, no adult kidnapped him, or worse, then yes indeed, it is a scenario such as this that I'd tend towards. A 4 year old country boy's curiosity might take him just about anywhere, including holes, wells, roofs, silos, creeks, ponds, up in trees, chimneys, sheds, outhouses, car boots, farm equipment, tractor tires, any little hidey hole would be attractive...I know, I was a curious country boy myself years ago :) I could see a boy digging a hole, crawling in, and having it collapse on him. I see all sorts of possibilities here.
 
  • #849
I've read numerous accounts of searches that totally missed the persons being sought, eventually to be found close by.

I could see a boy digging a hole, crawling in, and having it collapse on him. I see all sorts of possibilities here.
Agree totally …. It can happen so quickly and also so silently …

IMO
 
  • #850
As I posted pages back, I leaned towards little Gus hidden somewhere in the structures, not found, and gave some examples.

I still feel that way. There are so many examples of massive searches where bodies were missed, found in the oddest places, some close by from where they vanished. And Gus is tiny. And there's also the hidden old wells that were mentioned by a local early on.

some :
Annie Le...Yale, in a wall (murder)
Elisa Lam....hotel rooftop cistern
Harley Dilly ....chimney
Joshua Maddox ...chimney
Professor (killer) found under a pallet where he shot himself and where dogs had searched (can't remember his name)
girl found inside a hollow tree (can't remember the name)

oh and a case close by to me. young woman disappeared from public housing. She was found a couple of years later, in a wall of the apartment while someone else was living there.
 
Last edited:
  • #851
As I posted pages back, I leaned towards little Gus hidden somewhere in the structures, not found, and gave some examples.

I still feel that way. There are so many examples of massive searches where bodies were missed, found in the oddest places, some close by from where they vanished. And Gus is tiny. And there's also the hidden old wells that were mentioned by a local early on.

some :
Annie Le...Yale, in a wall (murder)
Elisa Lam....hotel rooftop cistern
Harley Dilly ....chimney
Joshua Maddox ...chimney
Professor (killer) found under a pallet where he shot himself and where dogs had searched (can't remember his name)
girl found inside a hollow tree (can't remember the name)
Truth. I'm late to the thread, but I agree with you. If there's been no illegal activity surrounding Gus's disappearance, he's likely relatively close by. I have a friend who's a canine trainer and handler, has written books on the subject of canine/handler training, ability, etc. I know for a fact that dogs can miss things. Scent is a peculiar thing, air quality, dew, wind direction, humidity, competing scents, training, ability of handler to read the canine, and vice versa, all play factors in search and rescue.
 
  • #852
Please remember we do not allow AI posts.
Thank you.
Tricia
 
  • #853
Was the homestead and outlying buildings etc cordoned off as a potential crime scene in this case?? I don’t know as I haven’t seen it mentioned ?? But happy to be corrected…

JMO

I think the gates probably acted as a cordon. I couldn't see that any reporters had actually accessed the property (until perhaps the DM did this week). It could be that long range lenses and drones captured their search images.

Am thinking that a police officer may have been stationed at a perimeter gate.

imo
 
  • #854
I don't think the police have said that Gus is not on the property. Just random others have (like the SES guy).

What the police said is ...

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.


They have done all they can. They cannot go on physically searching for as long as the public wants them to (finite resources).

They walked a good chunk of the area, flew over the property, rode through, attempted to track, investigated dams ..... and now have also recorded the property by drone (which is now being examined).

They also stated that they will go back if they get more clues.


imo
 
  • #855
I'm not on WS every day but whenever I come here I expect to see an update that Gus has been found. This is heartbreaking.
 
  • #856

Daily mail article with video. Who is Benjamin? Scroll down to “Police scale back the search for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont”

Edited to include which video.
 
  • #857

Daily mail article with video. Who is Benjamin? Scroll down to “Police scale back the search for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont”

Edited to include which video.
I believe that the DM have linked the wrong video. An adult male called Benjamin is also missing but in the Northern Territory. the Stuart Highway is then main route through the centre of the NT. The Barrier highway is the highway that runs through Yunta in SA. It is the wrong video and a confusing mistake they have made but I believe the two disappearances are totally unrelated.
 
  • #858
Have they dug through the sand pit? It is possible that Gus may have accidentally buried himself if he dug a large hole and the walls collapsed on him??

Even adults have been caught out like this and died…. It wouldn’t take much for a small child to be trapped in this way….

JMO ..
That's been my question for a while too. We've all seen the aerial shots that show vegetation growing around the sides and top of the sand pile, which suggests to me those areas not been disturbed for some time, let alone leveled. This shot was obviously (to me anyway) taken after Gus went missing. I'd imagine leveling the pile would be one of the first things done in the search for him. The only reason not to do so, in my opinion, is because it was rock hard, with no chance of caving in on him. Despite this, I'd be leveling it anyway, just to be sure.

Personally and it's MOO that we should not have to second guess what the authorities have and haven't done.
LE have stated clearly 'we have done all we can and we believe Gus has just wandered off' then that should be good enough.
Shouldn't it?
But can we take their word for the job being done properly? My answer to that would be no.
See above. Short of a decision that the pile was solid as a rock (which it could easily be), I'd think leveling it would just be a quick and easy task to rule out that he may have caved into it. We shouldn't need to second guess their choices, but it's just nagging at me that this simple task doesn't appear to have been done very early on in the investigation.
 
  • #859
This case is utterly baffling. I really feel for the family here. I sound like a broken record but I really hope that Gus is found soon
 
  • #860

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