Tracker Reveals Police Acting on Intel in Missing Boy Gus Lamont Search
A key member of the tracking team that scoured remote scrubland for missing boy Gus Lamont has revealed for the first time that police are now acting on his intelligence as the search intensifies. Jason O'Connell, from Mid North Wildlife Rescue South Australia, volunteered his services within hours of Gus vanishing from his family's farm, drawing on decades of SES training and specialist tracking skills to assist Major Crimes detectives.
Two Locations of Concern Identified
The veteran searcher stated there are 'two locations off property' that raised concerns with his team based on what they saw, heard, or were told by family. He did not specify what was of interest at the two sites or whether any items had been found, but confirmed one location, a conservation park, is now a focus for police based on his tip. His team cannot access the area until police have 'done their work'.
Mr O'Connell and his partner Jen Balchin previously spent about 100 hours scouring the isolated property, travelling more than 1200km across rough terrain and often searching alone through the night. Gus was last seen playing on a mound of dirt at his home at Oak Park Station, about 40 kilometres south of Yunta in SA's mid-north, around 5pm on September 27, with his family reporting him missing that night.
Months of Extensive Searches Yield No Trace
Despite months of extensive searches involving special forces, cadaver dogs, and drones sweeping vast stretches of surrounding scrubland, no trace of the little boy has been found. This month, police declared his disappearance a major crime investigation. This week, a fresh search was carried out on an adjacent farm also owned by the family, and the boy's grandparent Josie Murray was arrested for an unconnected weapons charge.
Mr O'Connell detailed the gruelling effort he and partner Jen Balchin undertook, spending around 100 hours scouring the isolated property. The experienced tracker claims the conservation park was one of two locations identified with the help of his small but dedicated team, and they had been preparing to search it themselves last week.
'We were due to go and search the conservation park last Thursday, with a group of private volunteers,' Mr O'Connell said in a lengthy statement. 'But after our initial talk with Major Crimes, they have decided to look at one place, so we will hold off till they do what they need too. We are only wanting to find Gus. This is not about trying to find him first, or getting in police way, and we will help whenever or however we can.'
Background in Emergency Services
Mr O'Connell said he initially offered to assist investigators due to his extensive background in emergency services. 'After Gus went missing, I offered my services to the police due to my training,' he explained. 'I have been in the SES in Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia, since before I was 16. I received a call back from police, asking when I could be out to the station and within 20 minutes, we were in the car heading out there.'
He added that apart from a few hours on two nights, they were the only people searching at night, and unlike other searchers, police gave them run of the property to search wherever they felt necessary. 'We searched out to past the property perimeter, and around and through every paddock on the property.'
He claims they uncovered 'several items of interest' and identified dams and water tanks police had not initially been told about, prompting divers to return to the property multiple times.
Volunteer Frustration and Determination
A second volunteer, Mark Aldridge, has echoed Mr O'Connell's determination to see Gus found, while also voicing frustration over their search of the conservation park being cancelled at the last minute. 'A private team was supposed to be in the area to investigate information provided by people in the know, my part of the team were packed and ready to leave at 6am,' he said.
'Information available since the first days of the search gets written off as nonsense, but when an independent team get together, all of a sudden access roads are blocked off by property owners, and police say they are going to helicopter in with dogs.'
Mr Aldrich hinted at a grim outcome for the pre-schooler and frayed relationships with authorities, but maintains anyone involved in the disappearance should be held accountable. 'I simply can't say much at the moment, because nothing I have to say is polite and we have never had an intention to get in the way. My concerns and those working with me are all about the child.'
'Sadly when private investigators get together over the past decades to assist in cases where children are victims, far too often we are seen as a problem to those who ought to work with us. In the case of Gus, if police are now acting on our intel, I call that a win. The whole story is horrible, if what we believe is all true. I pray he is found, and anyone linked to his disappearance are held to account.'
Family Cooperation and Ongoing Investigation
On Wednesday, police revealed a second family member of missing boy Gus Lamont was no longer cooperating with authorities. While Gus's parents continue to assist police, two relatives previously involved in the inquiry have withdrawn their cooperation, South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens confirmed.
'I think the head of Major Crime made that pretty clear at his recent press conference that two family members have withdrawn their cooperation, but we are still getting significant assistance from Gus's mum and dad,' he said. Previously, police had stated only one relative had withdrawn their support, and it was not clear whether Commissioner Stevens misspoke.
Commissioner Stevens also said that detectives will continue working on the case 'for the foreseeable future' following a renewed search of neighbouring properties this week. When asked whether arrests were likely soon, he responded: 'As with any major crime investigation, we don't rest until we have a resolution. Given the complexities, it is fair to assume we'll be working on Gus's disappearance for some time yet.' He added that a wider search area would be cast for the missing boy.
