The search for four-year-old August, known as Gus, who went missing in the Australian outback on Saturday, has entered its sixth day with military personnel joining the effort. Around 50 Australian Defence Force members are assisting in combing a region about 25 miles south of Yunta, where Gus was last seen playing at his homestead.
Superintendent Mark Syrus acknowledged that authorities are in what he termed the 'recovery phase' and preparing the family for the worst. 'We're going to be walking the next couple days... hoping that Gus has crawled into a hole somewhere and he's just still hanging in there,' he said.
A shoe print found about 500 metres from the property on Tuesday had a pattern 'very similar' to Gus's shoes, but police cautioned it 'could have been there a week'. Without further clues, search teams are extending the area beyond a 2.5 kilometre radius of the homestead.
Police cadets, State Emergency Service volunteers, an Aboriginal tracker, and community members have joined the search. The family said they are 'struggling to comprehend what has happened' and are 'holding onto hope that he will be found and returned safely'.
Gus was last seen wearing a grey sun hat, a blue t-shirt with a yellow Minion character, light grey trousers, and boots. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
