Hope is fading in the heartbreaking search for missing four-year-old August “Gus” Lamont, who vanished in the South Australian outback. The little boy disappeared on September 27 from his grandparents’ remote homestead, sparking a desperate search involving hundreds of rescuers.
Police have now confirmed the mission has shifted into a recovery phase. “A four-year-old doesn’t disappear into thin air, he has to be somewhere,” Superintendent Mark Syrus said. A single footprint, matching Gus’s boots, remains the only trace found near the property.

His family shared a moving statement through a friend: “Our hearts are aching, and we miss him more than words can express. We hold onto hope that he will be found and returned safely.”
Specialist divers, drones, and infrared cameras continue to scour the harsh terrain. Survival experts believe Gus’s country upbringing may give him an edge, while locals fear he may have fallen into an abandoned mine. As the search continues, one haunting question remains: can this little boy still defy the odds?