Overview

• Police say a prominent child’s footprint about 500 metres from the homestead matches the boot pattern Gus was wearing.
• A specialist tracker with deep knowledge of the terrain has been brought in to follow the trail, and 40 police cadets have joined the effort.
• More than 100 personnel are conducting aerial infrared sweeps and systematic ground ‘contact’ searches with drones, dogs, mounted teams and water operations.
• Investigators maintain there is no indication of abduction and believe the boy remains on the remote property; at the family’s request, no photo has been released, though his shirt image was shared.
• With the search now into a fifth day, police have cautioned that the chance of finding him alive is diminishing without food, water or shelter, even as they continue to hold out hope.