RCMP scaling back search for missing Pictou County children

CITYnews ha;ofax / By Natasha O’Neill

Officials are scaling back the search for the two missing Pictou County children after a multi-agency response and days of looking through dense woods.

“Probability of survival is taken into consideration,” Curtis MacKinnon, RCMP Staff Sgt., said of the decision.

It has been six days since Lily, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4, were last seen in the community of Lansdowne Station. The age of the missing people, weather, terrain and how long they have been gone are factors officials consider when deciding to scale back a search.

“The likelihood they are alive is very low,” Robert McCamon, RCMP’s major crimes unit, said.

If officials believed the pair were still in the forest alive, MacKinnon said that they would be out there searching.

Part of scaling back is limiting the number of people looking through the woods. Multiple times, officials referenced how thick the forest is. Even though they have said the searches have been “meticulous,” part of the scaled-back approach is to revisit some parts.

“We want to circle back to increase the probability that all clues have been found,” MacKinnon said. “We’re not packing up and we’re not giving up. Our investigation is broad and it won’t end until we know where Lily and Jack are and can bring them home.”

Amy Hansen, of Colchester County Ground Search and Rescue, said there have been injuries the last several days to volunteers.

“We know that everything has been so thoroughly searched…we are exhausting people…it’s just hard terrain,” she said of the members who are struggling to get through brush leftover from Hurricane Fiona and wading through creeks.

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RCMP said since the initial 911 calls, hundreds of people have been conducting searches near the family’s home on Gairloch Road. The area is about four kilometres squared.

It has involved helicopters, several drones and trained civilians from across the province.

RCMP also revealed in the press conference that they found a possible small boot imprint in the woods, which prompted a full-scale grid search in the surrounding area, but turned up nothing.

The children’s stepfather, Daniel Martell, is thankful for the amount of support from trained professionals to volunteers looking for Lily and Jack.

“They can’t go on forever. Everyone’s exhausted at this point…It’s just so hard on everybody,” he said.

Martell said he is more than happy with the thoroughness of the investigation, saying people have put their lives on hold to search for the children. He is “grateful” that police are going back and looking through the densest parts of the forest again.

“They brought in so many searchers, so many dogs, so many drones, so many planes and helicopters, I don’t know (if they are out there),” Martell said.

The children’s mother has been with family elsewhere in the province over the last number of days.

RCMP have no indication of abduction

The children’s stepfather is worried the pair may have been abducted, but police have said there is no evidence of that. Investigators are acting under the belief that both kids wandered from their home.

“If we had any information that led that way and we felt that we could provide anything with the public, we would have done that,” McCamon said on the idea of abduction. “We’re working very closely with the family and we will pursue every avenue.”

Police say they are not calling off the search. As of right now, RCMP said cadaver dogs are not on scene.

When asked if Martell believes the children are still out there alive:

“That’s all I can hope for, is to bring Jack and Lily home, it’s the only thing I’m hoping for at this point,” he said.