Rain brings potential 'opportunities' in renewed search for Gus Lamont, police say

Police have launched a renewed search at Oak Park Station for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont. (Supplied: SA Police) Police are searching Oak Park Station for the second day as part of a renewed three-day search for evidence in the case of missing Gus Lamont. In a statement, police said they would "take advantage of opportunities that may have arisen as a result of recent heavy rains". Police say an update will be provided as the investigations continue. Link copiedShareShare articlePolice will return to Oak Park Station for the second day as part of a renewed three-day search for evidence in the case of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont. On Tuesday, police said the search was prompted by recent heavy rainfall in the area. Officers yesterday returned to the remote station near Yunta, in South Australia's Mid North, as part of their continued investigation into Gus's disappearance. Gus was reported missing from his family's vast property eight months ago, on September 27 last year. At the time, police said they believed Gus had wandered off from the property, but have since declared his disappearance a major crime. Police horses were used during the initial searches for Gus Lamont last year. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor) Task Force Horizon members — including specialist Major Crime detectives and STAR Group officers — will search numerous locations on the property as part of the latest sweep of the area. "The searching has resumed to take advantage of opportunities that may have arisen as a result of recent heavy rains on the property," police said in a statement yesterday. "An update will be provided as the investigations continue." According to the Bureau of Meteorology website, the Yunta airstrip received almost 23 millimetres of rain over two days from May 16 and May 17, and a further 4mm on May 19. Another 4mm was recorded at the airstrip on Monday. An overhead view of the landscape near Peterborough, west of Yunta in SA. (ABC News: Guido Salazar) Police conducted a similar renewed search in March following heavy rains in the area, but failed to find any new evidence at the time. Following that search, police said in a statement they had not ruled out returning to the station. Since Gus was reported missing, police have conducted several searches for the missing boy, and have scoured a water tank, an outhouse and several mine shafts. Police have previously said the ongoing probe into Gus's disappearance is "one of the largest, most intensive and most protracted searches ever undertaken" in the state. Their efforts have involved a drone with infrared capabilities, aircraft, mounted officers, SES volunteers, a First Nations tracker, a cadaver dog and Australian Defence Force members, yet no trace of him has been found. In February, SA Police's Major Crime Investigation Branch Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said police had ruled out the initial theory that Gus had wandered off and said there was "no evidence, physical or otherwise to suggest that". Gus was reported missing from the remote Oak Park Station, in SA's Mid North region. (ABC News: Simon Goodes) Also in February, SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said police would return to the family's property "frequently" as they continued their investigation into his disappearance. "I think it's reasonably foreseeable that we will be visiting Oak Park quite frequently over the coming months as we continue our investigation as well as visiting surrounding locations in the vicinity of the residence," he said. Six months to the day since four-year-old Gus Lamont was reported missing from a vast outback station, many more questions than answers remain. Police have previously said two of Gus's family members were not cooperating with investigators, and indicated they had a suspect. They have repeatedly said Gus's parents were not suspects. On February 6, Gus's grandparents, Josie and Shannon Murray, issued a statement saying the family had "cooperated fully with the investigation". In March, an SA Police spokesperson confirmed "two family members were only communicating [with police] via their legal representatives". In late February, Gus's parents Josie and Joshua, released a video and public statement describing how their lives had been "shattered". They also pleaded for anyone with information to come forward. "We know someone out there may have information," they said. "If someone knows what happened, we are pleading with that person — or anyone who may have seen or heard anything — to please come forward. The region has recently had rainfall. (ABC News: Guido Salazar) No arrests or charges have been laid in relation to Gus's disappearance. Anyone with any information on Gus Lamont's disappearance is urged to contact Crime stoppers on their website or on 1800 333 000. Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesIran war derailed talks to claw back billions in tax credits paid to minersTopic:Coal

Rain brings potential 'opportunities' in renewed search for Gus Lamont, police say

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Rain brings potential 'opportunities' in renewed search for Gus Lamont, police say

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