💔 “We’re Still Looking for Gus”: Police Launch Recovery Taskforce in Heartbreaking Update on Missing 4-Year-Old

South Australia’s Police Commissioner has delivered a deeply emotional update in the case of four-year-old Gus Lamont, whose disappearance from his grandparents’ remote property has gripped the nation for more than two weeks.

In a development that both renews effort and underscores heartbreak, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens confirmed on Tuesday that the focus of the search has shifted from rescue to recovery — as a newly formed Taskforce Horizon takes control of the reinvigorated operation.

A Search That Has Captivated Australia

Gus Lamont vanished on September 27, while playing near a sandhill on his grandparents’ sprawling outback property, Oak Park Station, located just outside Yunta, roughly 600 kilometres north of Adelaide.

Despite an enormous search effort involving state police, volunteers, and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), no trace of the little boy has been found.

The mystery surrounding Gus’s disappearance has dominated headlines and touched hearts nationwide — a case that has evoked both hope and despair as day after day passed without answers.

Now, 18 days since he went missing, police have made the painful decision to shift their focus.

“We’re still looking for Gus,” Commissioner Stevens said during a sombre interview on radio station FIVEAA on Tuesday morning. “That’s really important to the family, to us, and to everybody who’s been involved.”

The Formation of Taskforce Horizon

In an effort to bring closure to the devastated Lamont family, South Australia Police has established Taskforce Horizon — a dedicated recovery team charged with overseeing what is now considered one of the largest search operations in recent years.

The taskforce combines experienced SAPOL officers, ADF personnel, and specialist search controllers trained to coordinate complex ground and aerial searches across vast, rugged terrain.

“The Australian Defence Force has been excellent,” Commissioner Stevens said. “We’ve got 80 ADF personnel on the property this morning, being coordinated by field search controllers — police officers with South Australia Police — really just making sure that we leave no stone unturned.”

Expanding the Search Zone

Authorities have confirmed that the search area has been expanded beyond the initial perimeter after new information suggested possible alternate routes the child could have taken.

The operation now includes previously unexplored sections of creek beds, fence lines, and low scrubland, with teams using heat sensors, drones, and all-terrain vehicles.

“Acting on new advice, we’re focusing on areas outside the previous zones,” a police spokesperson said. “We’ve ruled out foul play, and the search is now concentrated on locating Gus’s remains.”

Large trucks and personnel carriers from the ADF were seen on Tuesday morning moving in and out of the property, ferrying soldiers to their assigned sectors. Footage captured by The Advertiser showed dozens of uniformed personnel combing through dry creek beds, kneeling to examine tracks and depressions in the dirt.

“Leave No Stone Unturned”

Commissioner Stevens praised the resilience of the hundreds of people involved — police, defence, and volunteers — who continue to endure harsh conditions in their mission to bring Gus home.

“We are operating in extreme terrain, and everyone involved is showing enormous determination,” he said. “It’s been 18 days, and we will continue until every part of that property has been searched.”

The Commissioner also paid tribute to Gus’s family, who have remained at the property throughout the ordeal, supported by police family liaison officers.

“They’re living every parent’s worst nightmare,” Stevens said quietly. “Our hearts are with them every single day.”

A Community in Mourning

The tight-knit Yunta community has rallied around the Lamont family since the disappearance. Locals have delivered food, fuel, and supplies to search teams while churches across the region have held nightly vigils.

Flags at local council offices and schools have been lowered to half-mast. One teacher at Gus’s preschool described him as “a bright, curious boy with a laugh that filled the room.”

As hope for a rescue fades, locals have shifted their focus to providing comfort and solidarity.

“No one wants to stop searching,” said one resident. “Even if the outcome is tragic, we just want to bring him home.”

“A Case That Has Touched the Nation”

The disappearance of Gus Lamont has drawn attention well beyond South Australia, with offers of support from across the country and international interest in the search effort.

Psychologists and former investigators have described the case as “every family’s nightmare” — a reminder of the fragility of life in Australia’s vast and unforgiving outback.

While police now describe the mission as a “recovery operation,” they insist their determination remains absolute.

“This is not about giving up,” Commissioner Stevens emphasized. “It’s about shifting focus. We will continue to look for Gus until we find him.”

A Family’s Heartbreak

For the Lamont family, each passing day brings renewed grief but also gratitude for the efforts of those searching for their son. In a statement released last week, they thanked the public for their prayers and kindness, adding, “We just want our little boy home.”

As Taskforce Horizon continues its work across the red earth and dry creek beds of Oak Park Station, the story of Gus Lamont remains both heartbreaking and haunting — a mystery that has united strangers, tested faith, and revealed the depths of compassion in the face of loss.

And though the mission may now be one of recovery, one thing remains unchanged:

“We’re still looking for Gus.” 💔