Renewed Search for Missing Boy Gus Leads to Dam Drainage in Outback SA
The search for four-year-old Gus, who vanished from his family’s outback property more than a month ago, has taken another turn this week as police carried out a detailed search involving the complete drainage of a dam near the family homestead.
Authorities have confirmed that the operation, carried out on Friday morning, was done “out of an abundance of caution” after the dam—about four-and-a-half metres deep—had already been inspected by divers weeks earlier. Despite that earlier search, police decided to drain the dam to allow what they described as a “comprehensive visual inspection,” especially in areas covered by dense underwater vegetation that divers could not fully access.
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Deputy Police Commissioner Linda Williams explained that this step was taken to ensure every possible angle in the investigation had been covered. “We’re going back through every aspect of the search to make sure we are satisfied as much as we possibly can,” she said. “Because there was still water in the dam, it was felt there was an opportunity to drain it, just out of a sense of thoroughness.”
The large dam, located about 600 metres from the homestead, was drained into a smaller southern dam at a rate of roughly 15,000 litres per minute. In total, around 3.2 million litres of water were removed—a process that took about three and a half hours. Once the search was complete, the water was pumped back with very little loss. Police divers and the State Emergency Service (SES) cleared thick weed beds and conducted extensive searches across both the drained and holding dams, but unfortunately, nothing of significance was found.
This latest development comes as part of an ongoing and massive effort that has seen state police, the Australian Defence Force, SES volunteers, and local trackers cover over 470 square kilometres since Gus’s disappearance on September 27. He was last seen playing near the family’s sheep station, located about 40 kilometres south of Yunta in South Australia’s mid-north.
Deputy Commissioner Williams emphasized that no resource has been spared since day one. “Every available resource was put into the initial search—it was one of the most significant searches ever undertaken,” she said. She also reminded the public of the heartbreaking nature of the case, adding, “This is a four-year-old. Four-year-olds don’t pack their bags and run away.”
The case remains one of the most distressing in recent South Australian memory, and police have vowed to continue the search for as long as it takes. Task Force Horizon, formed earlier this month, continues to investigate every possible lead. Despite today’s disappointing outcome, authorities remain committed to finding answers for Gus’s family—and bringing closure to a community that has been holding its breath for over five weeks.
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