A neighbour of the sheep station where four-year-old August 'Gus' Lamont (pictured) went missing has urged strangers to stop attending the property and volunteering to search for him.
Gus was last seen by his grandmother playing in the sand outside his grandparents' homestead on a large property, 40km south of Yunta in South Australia's outback, at about 5pm on September 27. When the grandmother went to check on Gus again half an hour later, he was nowhere to be found.
A massive search for Gus, one of the largest and most protracted searches ever undertaken by SA Police, was concluded on Friday, October 3, having only found a single bootprint believed to be from Gus. A neighbour and family friend said she has been visiting the property to help Gus' parents and grandparents in their ongoing search. However, a recurring issue has been strangers arriving at the property and asking to lend a hand as it bothered the family as it was grieving Gus' loss.
'I know this family very well and they don't want people turning up and having to just deal with that,' she told the Adelaide Advertiser. 'Even if the people are well-meaning and sympathetic, they just want peace and quiet and to try and work out for themselves what's actually happened. They must be in shock and they just need to be left alone. They're the best people you can get - honest, reliable, trustworthy.'
It comes as another Yunta local, Alex Thomas (pictured), told the outlet Gus’ family had been victims of horrific ‘online vitriol’ accusing them of being involved in the little boy’s disappearance. ‘I really want to gently inform people about the realities of rural life and ask them for their compassion and understanding,’ Ms Thomas said. ‘Because this gentle and loving family - they’re not headlines, they are not a spectacle. ‘They are real people who are hurting beyond belief.’
Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott on Friday said his team were 'confident that we have done all we can to locate Gus'. 'The determination of every individual involved to find Gus has never wavered,' he said. 'Like every member of the community who has been following this sad event, they too have been very much affected by what has happened. 'They are all mothers, fathers or have young siblings and share the anguish and despair that Gus' family have been going through since last Saturday night.' Commissioner Parrott added while Gus is known to be 'shy but adventures' he had 'never left the family property previously'.
'On Tuesday night senior police spoke to Gus' family and prepared them for the fact that Gus may not have survived due to the passage of time, his age and the nature of the terrain he is missing in,' he said. 'This assessment was based on medical evidence from a doctor who is recognised by the Australian rescue authorities as an expert opinion on time frame for survival. While those involved in the search have been hoping for a miracle, over the past 48 hours the search has shifted to a recovery operation. 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.'
The investigation into Gus' disappearance is now being managed by the Missing Persons Investigation Section, which deals with long-term cases. Jason O'Connell was one of the 30 SES volunteers who attended the Yunta property every day to help find Gus. He said he was 'personally very doubtful' the youngster was on the property 'There's really not much there, and with our lights I'm surprised because we just didn't find anything,' he told the Adelaide Advertiser. 'If he was in a bad way or if he passed away, we'd listen for foxes, look for birds of prey. No birds of prey means he's not there.' Inquiries into Gus' disappearance remain ongoing.