Australia AUSTRALIA - 4YO AUGUST (GUS) Missing from rural family home in Outback, Yunta, South Australia, 27th Sept 2025

[Warshawski]

Police have cast doubt on the child's footprint found on Tuesday, 500m from the homestead.

'Now that we know that we can't find any other footprints around the place - that (footprint) could have been there a week,' Supt Syrus said.

Was the child walking there (now) 2 weeks ago, for them to think it’s possibly an old print ?
Walking by himself, 500 metres from the homestead ?
Did he regularly go off walking by himself ? and walking those distances ?
Did he go off late that afternoon looking for someone?
Was he in the habit of meeting someone at the end of the day / expecting someone to arrive who didn’t - so he went to find that person ?
I would expect that at that time of the day a 4 year old would be getting hungry - why would he head off AWAY from his dinner ?

Like others on here, I have a background in the Australian ‘bush’ / slang for rural Australia, in all its different forms.

And like others, I’m very confused as to why he hasn’t been found in country that would usually be considered ideal for ‘searching / tracking’.
That country is not heavy scrub / forestry / national park / rain forest / mountainous etc, .. . It’s pretty much salt bush plains.

Sadly, after almost of week of Nothing, this is starting to give me a very uneasy feeling.

Official update : Police statement regarding Yunta search.

 

[Itz_CrimsonYT]

Wait... Do we know when the police arrived to the homestead on the day of his disappearance?

 

[tedtink]

Not issuing a photograph, during the early stages was the right thing to do imo. It makes sense, in this vast area, if they had found a 4 yr old it was a very high probability it would have been Gus.
The last thing Police needed at the beginning of this operation was an influx of phone calls from members of the public with false sightings and speculation - albeit by concerned folk just wanting to help. This would have sucked up resources better spent on the search.

It seems he wandered off between 5 - 5.30pm, what drew him away from the homestead as the sun was setting? Did he see something and being an inquisitive, adventurous boy decide to follow it?

I'd like to know if there was a conversation between G'Ma and Gus at 5pm - for instance, did she say it's nearly time to come in? Nearly supper time?

Had Gus been pushing boundaries, which is completely normal for a child at that age in their development, decided he was having too much fun outside and adamantly, quietly just walked off, as some kids do? Boundary setting doesn't necessarily mean screaming, struggling, it can also be subtle in some children.
I'm sure the Police will have all this info and the direction of the investigation was based on it.

However, Police never just settle on one theory, this is evident in the presser today, which again is completely normal in investigations, otherwise LE wouldn't be worth their salt. But that doesn't mean they believe something else has happened to Gus.

What I find perplexing is - Would a 4 year old keep walking through the outback into the dark night and not stop? There's a lot of physical and emotional obstacles to overcome when it's pitch black and I can't see that he'd have got very far that first night, let alone keep going for a few days, especially if he were crying, hungry, tired and confused etc.

Personally I think he's still on the property, the search party, although thorough and highly professional have missed him so far.
It happens.

all jmo

 

[tedtink]

Wait... Do we know when the police arrived to the homestead on the day of his disappearance?

9.30pm

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Wait... Do we know when the police arrived to the homestead on the day of his disappearance?

A rough timeline:
Last seen at 5pm
Not outside at 5.30pm when Grandma checked
Family searched for roughly 3 hours before calling police
Police arrived 9-9.30pm

 

[Itz_CrimsonYT]

Something feels off...
So far, I don't believe that the grandmother noted any footprints nearby the homestead at 5:30... If he indeed did wander away from the house, depending on when he left the premises, wouldn't there be footprints nearby to indicate that?

but so far, the only footprint found was 500m away from the homestead, which police aren't even sure if it's Gus's.

Looking at this image posted on Page 13 of this thread, I can see what appears to be a path, if all the paths around the homestead are similar to this one. Then It could be possible Gus followed one of the paths, as they almost seem too sturdy to show footprints, similar to asphalt on roads.

 

[Warshawski]

just watched today’s press conference and the messaging felt very unusual.

Thank you for your very well worded post.

I too felt it to be a carefully managed briefing - although I guess I understand that position, when they have nothing to report but have to say something & have to appear ‘in control’.

‘50 people on the ground’ is not what I would class as a large search contingent, but maybe there were another 50 on the bikes, and another 50 on horses and etc …

I was waiting for someone to ask about the searching of the immediate vicinity of the house as that is a veritable ‘village’ or whatever in itself. I could easily imagine a small child coming to grief amongst all that and not being found if incapable of calling out / answering a call.

My heart breaks. for all those who have loved having Gus around them, as sadly I think he has passed on to much lusher pastures.

I just hope that he is located, as there must be nothing worse than not knowing,

 

[Warshawski]

Yes Police have said that the search is being scaled back, not that it has ended.

In the presser he said it would be called off & personnel removed from the property this afternoon.

Police will continue to follow leads & liaise with the family ( I wonder what he meant by following leads )

 

[tedtink]

In the presser he said it would be called off & personnel removed from the property this afternoon.

Police will continue to follow leads & liaise with the family ( I wonder what he meant by following leads )

Possibly if someone discovers an item or scrap of clothing on the property or if there is a credible sighting imo.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

The grandmother would not have been looking for footprints, she would have been looking for him

 

[Itz_CrimsonYT]

The grandmother would not have been looking for footprints, she would have been looking for him

she might not have been looking specifically FOR footprints, but you'd think she'd at least notice some indication of the boy walking around. Like if you are focused on a video and notice a tiny thing in the corner of the screen. It's not what you were looking at/for, but you noticed it regardless

 

[tedtink]

Something feels off...
So far, I don't believe that the grandmother noted any footprints nearby the homestead at 5:30... If he indeed did wander away from the house, depending on when he left the premises, wouldn't there be footprints nearby to indicate that?

but so far, the only footprint found was 500m away from the homestead, which police aren't even sure if it's Gus's.
View attachment 618024
Looking at this image posted on Page 13 of this thread, I can see what appears to be a path, if all the paths around the homestead are similar to this one. Then It could be possible Gus followed one of the paths, as they almost seem too sturdy to show footprints, similar to asphalt on roads.

I think the Police said the print they found 500m away was from the boot Gus was wearing but they couldn't be sure if it was from the day he went missing or another time. I'd imagine there would be other prints, but perhaps LE were mainly focused on any prints further afield to try and ascertain which direction he could have gone?
Also the fam were searching for him for 3 hours before LE arrived, so I guess other prints, closer to home, would have been walked over, or perhaps driven over?

 

[Itz_CrimsonYT]

Also the fam were searching for him for 3 hours before LE arrived, so I guess other prints, closer to home, would have been walked over, or perhaps driven over?

While that would be possible. It kinda shows that if the family have no recollection of seeing anything that proves he wandered away. Then it's impossible to say that he even wandered away in the first place. We are really just making an assumption based on a single footprint and his adventurous nature. Plus, the family stated that he had never left the premises before, so the fact that he went missing like he did doesn't really add up to that statement unless he saw something of interest.

 

[tedtink]

While that would be possible. It kinda shows that if the family have no recollection of seeing anything that proves he wandered away. Then it's impossible to say that he even wandered away in the first place. We are really just making an assumption based on a single footprint and his adventurous nature. Plus, the family stated that he had never left the premises before, so the fact that he went missing like he did doesn't really add up to that statement unless he saw something of interest.

BBM

The Police made that assumption based on the facts they had at the time, which are more than we know.

The 'proof' that he wandered away, was based on Gus being seen at 5pm then unseen at 5.30pm.

He'd never left the premises before - There's always a first time for everything.

 

[TMich6811]

IMO
If he has never wandered away, I cannot personally imagine waiting 3 hours for help.

Had this been a normal occurrence, I would wait longer. But a new thing for a child who is 4? That’s a long time to wait

Doesn’t imply anything I just don’t relate

 

[tedtink]

IMO
If he has never wandered away, I cannot personally imagine waiting 3 hours for help.

Had this been a normal occurrence, I would wait longer. But a new thing for a child who is 4? That’s a long time to wait

Doesn’t imply anything I just don’t relate

I understand they searched for 3 hours themselves. It's a huge property to search, many outbuildings, a large home, lots of nooks and crannies, let alone driving around trying to find him imo. AND the light had faded, so searching possibly with the torchlight would take hours imo.

Going by folk I've met in the outback, my impression is they are tough and self reliant. They'd exhausted all efforts themselves before calling LE.

 

[vls12345]

A rough timeline:
Last seen at 5pm
Not outside at 5.30pm when Grandma checked
Family searched for roughly 3 hours before calling police
Police arrived 9-9.30pm

Sorry, I am coming into this thread a little late.

Who exactly searched prior to police arriving? One? Two? More? Any pet dogs who might have been looking too? Is it known that Gus might have answered calls from those he knows (vs. later with police searching, it would have included strangers' voices) or would he ignore/nor respond even to calling from those he knows?

How bright was the moon that night?

 

[Serononin]

Sorry, I am coming into this thread a little late.

Who exactly searched prior to police arriving? One? Two? More? Any pet dogs who might have been looking too? Is it known that Gus might have answered calls from those he knows (vs. later with police searching, it would have included strangers' voices) or would he ignore/nor respond even to calling from those he knows?

How bright was the moon that night?

I don't think we actually know how many people live on the property. The only family member who has been mentioned is the grandmother since she was the last person to see him

 

[TMich6811]

I understand they searched for 3 hours themselves. It's a huge property to search, many outbuildings, a large home, lots of nooks and crannies, let alone driving around trying to find him imo. AND the light had faded, so searching possibly with the torchlight would take hours imo.

Going by folk I've met in the outback, my impression is they are tough and self reliant. They'd exhausted all efforts themselves before calling LE.

I get it in explanation But like I said I can’t relate and struggle to wrap
My head around it because that’s so much time for such a mini man

 

[tedtink]

I get it in explanation But like I said I can’t relate and struggle to wrap
My head around it because that’s so much time for such a mini man

It does seem like a long time, but perhaps they thought because Gus had never wandered off before, they convinced themselves that he would be close by, so searched, then re-searched again and again. Like the OP has said, we don't know how many people searched either.