Four-year-old boy Gus disappeared on September 27. Photo: SAPOL / SUPPLIED
South Australia (SA) police and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel will resume their search for missing four-year-old Gus in South Australia's mid-north on tuesday.
In a statement, SA Police said they would resume search activity at the family's isolated and undulating sheep grazing station, about 43 kilometres south of Yunta.
"The search, which will involve police and ADF personnel, will concentrate on an expanded area outside of the zone already searched extensively following Gus's disappearance on Saturday, September 27," police said.
SA Police last week continued conducting searches of the family's property "using a special drone with infrared capabilities".
But despite "hoping for a miracle", they had already announced they were scaling back the search, which they described as one of the "largest" and "most protracted" they had ever undertaken.
Police previously said they suspected that Gus had "wandered away from the property", and said his family had described the boy as a "quiet" but "pretty adventurous" child.
Searchers looking for Gus. (File photo) Photo: ABC News / Justin Hewitsen
The family's sheep station is located about 350km north of Adelaide and spans about 6000 hectares.
In the statement released today, police said there had been "regular and close engagement" with Gus's family, who were "continuing to assist with the investigation".
Police have said Gus was last seen playing in sand outside the homestead on his family's property around 5pm on the day he went missing.
While hundreds of police, community and SES volunteers scoured the ground for clues, only a single footprint with a "very similar boot pattern to what Gus was wearing when he went missing" was found during the initial search efforts.
The search also included a tracker, as well as the police helicopter, drones, water operations teams, police cadets and the ADF.
After Gus's disappearance, family friend Bill Harbison delivered a statement on behalf of the boy's family.
Extensive search efforts have taken place since Gus disappeared. (File photo) Photo: ABC News / Daniel Taylor
He said the family was "devastated" and that they missed him "more than words can express".
"This has come as a shock to our family and friends, and we are struggling to comprehend what has happened," he said.
When he vanished, Gus was wearing a grey sun hat, light grey long pants, boots and a blue long-sleeve T-shirt featuring a yellow Minion character.
Since his disappearance, numerous locals have lent a helping hand during the extensive search efforts, including former neighbour and tracker Royce Player.
The case has also prompted the circulation of misinformation, including fake images and news stories on social media, and police have said theories from "keyboard detectives" about Gus's disappearance were "not helpful".
Police have encouraged members of the public "only to trust reputable sources like government agencies where images are published online".
Police said future media updates about the search for Gus would be conducted in Adelaide, rather than at the family's private property.
- ABC
