CANADA Canada - Darius Macdougall, 5, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta,Canada 21 Sept 2025

[Serononin]

Is it difficult to train such dogs?
I thought each province has their own ones.

I'm not sure, I'd guess it's probably expensive, and the handlers also need specialist training. I actually don't know if there are any in Alberta, there may well be. It seems NS don't have any, apparently they would have brought in a dog from PEI for the Sullivan case but that dog is currently injured. I'm not sure how bringing dogs out from BC ended up being the best option for them, I would've thought there'd at least be some in Ontario

 

[Kittypoo]

I know neurotypical children can go missing in terrains like this but as a mother to an autistic child I often question why anyone would bring an autistic non verbal young child of darius's age to camp in a place like this . They are already vulnerable and while I understand you have to expose them to the same things you would with a non autistic child . I do question the logic

Praying he is found but its not looking like he will be found alive unfortunately

Agree totally I questioned the same thing on the Nora Quorin case really sorry but IMO it’s just asking for trouble going to remote/water/dense/high places

 

[su5ie]

Agree totally I questioned the same thing on the Nora Quorin case really sorry but IMO it’s just asking for trouble going to remote/water/dense/high places

I followed this case too and can't fathom the circumstances surrounding this . Apparently her body looked like it was laid out rather than succumbing to the elements and physical issues.

I get there is always a first time for everything a child does but l do think there is a crime here , whether it happened after she wandered or someone had a hand in removing her from the apartment I can't decide . I really feel for her folks but yeah why bring a child with such complex needs to a complex place

 

[lastkiss]

Poor baby. Rest in peace Darius x

 

[su5ie]

Poor baby. Rest in peace Darius x

Was he found

 

[Lucy6226]

Was he found

Not that I've seen. Just LE stating he is now presumed deceased due to the amount of time that's past MOO

 

[MistyWaters]

This was an extremely intensive search, yet nothing was found at all, not even a footprint. For the volunteer SAR members involved, I imagine it must leave them with a feeling of emptiness. But I greatly admire their willingness to help out others in a desperate time of need, truly the hero's of our society!

"Sad": Sundre SAR manager reacts as no trace of missing Alberta boy found

Police, search and rescue, other resources demobilized Oct. 1 from near Crowsnest Pass after 11 days of intensive searching for six-year-old from Lethbridge

www.thealbertan.com

“Adam Kennedy, provincial training manager for Search and Rescue Alberta, said there were more than 400 search and rescue volunteers from 50 teams across Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan that responded to the call, along the way contributing approximately 11,000 hours.

The search extended up to 12 kilometres from where Macdougall was last seen and the total distance travelled by ground search assets while in the field was more than 5,300 kilometres.

A total area of nearly 22 square kilometres around the location where Macdougall was last seen was scoured – much of it multiple times – throughout the comprehensive and thorough search, but the extensive effort did not uncover any trace of the boy.”

 

[Canadianmom2three]

Family of missing Alberta boy releases new photos, say they have ‘not given up hope’
The family of a six-year-old Lethbridge, Alberta boy who went missing on Sept. 21, while on a camping trip in the Crowsnest Pass area, are making a public plea for people travelling in the area to keep an eye out for him, saying “the family has not given up hope.”

 

[lastkiss]

Poor baby. Rest in peace Darius x

Apologies if my post confused matters. I was responding with my emotions to the statement by the SAR that there was no hope of Darius being found alive, not that they had found his wee body.

 

[friendlysleuther]

Island Park Campground is a pay to use campground. It gets quite busy in the summer, especially over long weekends but definitely is starting to fizzle out with it getting cold at night, kids being back in school and no long weekends any time soon.

Tent Mountain Road is about 15 minutes south of Island Park Campground so i doubt anyone from the park would have even seen them. Where they were, no campsite and grounds were located. they could have been using a fire pit but those are few and far between out there.

My husband is Native and he grew up with stories from his grandfather about how to never go into the woods alone because there were entities that wanted to lure you away and take you.

I got the images below from Google Maps. This is Tent Mountain Rd, it doesn't follow the whole road but it goes down it a bit.

Please be sure to include geo locations next time or some sort of link so others can look as well!
Thank you.

-MOD

 

[LadyL]

Island Park Campground is a pay to use campground. It gets quite busy in the summer, especially over long weekends but definitely is starting to fizzle out with it getting cold at night, kids being back in school and no long weekends any time soon.

Tent Mountain Road is about 15 minutes south of Island Park Campground so i doubt anyone from the park would have even seen them. Where they were, no campsite and grounds were located. they could have been using a fire pit but those are few and far between out there.

My husband is Native and he grew up with stories from his grandfather about how to never go into the woods alone because there were entities that wanted to lure you away and take you.

I got the images below from Google Maps. This is Tent Mountain Rd, it doesn't follow the whole road but it goes down it a bit.

I just think the odds were/are against them searching in that kind of terrain.

 

[TMich6811]

Please be sure to include geo locations next time or some sort of link so others can look as well!
Thank you.

-MOD

Not me but This was said very kindly

 

[stonedgnome]

Is it difficult to train such dogs?
I thought each province has its own ones.
These dogs seem to work overtime.

JMO

I have a (second) cousin who died by drowning a few years ago. His mother (my first cousin) now trains search and rescue dogs, including her own personal dogs.

It was extremely devastating and still affects my family. I'm glad his mom is doing something positive to cope with her grief.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I have a (second) cousin who died by drowning a few years ago. His mother (my first cousin) now trains search and rescue dogs, including her own personal dogs.

It was extremely devastating and still affects my family. I'm glad his mom is doing something positive to cope with her grief.

Aw sorry to hear that. I too admire people who take their tragedies and make a change in the world.

I regularly think of Tim Miller and Equusearch, amazes me how people can keep going after such devastation.

 

[Warwick7]

I didn't realize they called off the search.

'This was a tragedy': Search called off as boy, 6, still missing in Alberta

Search for Darius Macdougall enters 11th day

www.cranbrooktownsman.com

 

[Dotta]

I constantly check two threads
- about 5 year old Darius in Canada
- and 4 year old Gus in Australia
hoping for some news.

Both boys missing

No traces of little guys.

 

[Dotta]

This is the same info I posted on Gus's thread:

There are anti-lost GPS bracelets for kids:
waterproof & shockproof GPS tracker ones compatible with air tag Band.

In fact,
there are many kinds of GPS locators to choose from:
bracelets, pendants, tags, even rings, etc.
One can Google and see them.

The safety of children is the most important.
They are totally dependent on adults, their carers.

JMO