Australia's police have suspended the search for a four-year-old child who has been disappeared in the remote area for nearly several weeks, after fresh attempts failed to discover any traces of the youngster.
Gus Lamont was last seen enjoying himself near his home on a isolated sheep station in the vicinity of Yunta, about 300km from Adelaide, on late September.
His grandparent left him alone for about thirty minutes before returning, only to find the boy missing, prompting one of the largest land and air searches in local history.
Law enforcement - who do not think there was criminal activity - say they will continue looking into, but that the matter has become a "recovery operation".
Recently, authorities temporarily wound down the hunt, only to restart it on Tuesday alongside eighty Australian Defense Force personnel.
"Commissioner Grant Stevens said authorities were scanning a broader area based on updated assessments from medical and search experts, rather than any new information."
On Friday, officials announced that the new search had not uncovered any traces of the child.
"The fact that the child is a little boy, the environment is very rough, challenging and affected by variable climate has made the searching demanding and more difficult for those participating," officials said in a statement.
About 470 square kilometers - an region roughly twice the size of Edinburgh - has now been searched, and a specialized taskforce set up earlier this week is anticipated to continue investigating. Police have not ruled out additional operations of the area in the coming days.
Gus, who has been characterized as an adventurous but reserved child, was observed dressed in a dark cap, pale gray pants, boots and a blue full-sleeve shirt showing a yellow cartoon design.
The incident has provoked substantial interest throughout Australia, with pictures of the fair-haired, curly-haired boy shown in regional news and speculation spreading widely online.
It prompted officials to ask that citizens discontinue phoning them with their "theories", and request for them to obtain details from reliable channels.
Police earlier this week said the boy's relatives stay "resilient" despite the heartbreaking situation.
"You can imagine just how they are feeling... without having clarity as to precisely where their child is and what's occurred to him. This would be heartbreaking for every family," Official Stevens said.
Via a representative, the family household has previously said they are "overwhelmed" by Gus's loss.
"This constitutes a trauma to our household and acquaintances, and we are having trouble to process what has happened," a family representative said.
"The child's disappearance is felt in everyone, and we long for him beyond expressions can convey."
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