After a challenging day of searching through fast-flowing river waters and dense forests, family members of two missing children from Nova Scotia were left disheartened as their latest search efforts did not yield any significant breakthroughs before winter sets in.
Volunteers, totaling around 30 individuals, gathered in Lansdowne, N.S., hoping to find any trace of Lilly Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 5, who disappeared over six months ago. Despite discovering a few items of interest during the search, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that none of the findings were relevant to the case of the missing siblings.
The search, organized by the Ontario-based non-profit Please Bring Me Home, focused on revisiting waterways that could potentially hide clues that were missed in previous searches. The search teams, including many family and friends of the children, were divided into six groups to cover designated areas along the Middle River of Pictou.
Although the searchers encountered challenging conditions, including wading through deep water and navigating dense vegetation, their efforts did not lead to any significant breakthroughs. Items such as a child’s T-shirt, a geocaching kit, a blue blanket, a child’s bicycle, and bones wrapped in a blanket were discovered, but none were considered relevant to the investigation.
Despite the disappointment of not finding the missing children, the search organizer, Nick Oldrieve, confirmed that accredited cadaver dogs specialized in detecting human remains would return to Lansdowne for further search operations in the upcoming week.
The case of the missing children has stirred tensions within the community and among family members. The investigation, conducted under the Missing Persons Act by the RCMP, has involved extensive efforts, including forensic testing, following up on numerous tips, and reviewing video footage.
The children’s paternal grandmother, Belynda Gray, expressed her continued belief that the children are still in the woods, despite the challenges faced during the recent search. The search organizer, Oldrieve, also shared his doubts about the children wandering into the woods based on the evidence and discussions with authorities and locals.
Although the recent search did not yield the desired outcome, the commitment to finding Lilly and Jack remains unwavering among the search teams and family members involved in the ongoing efforts to locate the missing siblings.