Australia's police have ended the search for a young boy who has been lost in the remote area for almost several weeks, after fresh attempts were unable to find any signs of the youngster.
The young boy was observed engaging near his family property on a remote farmland close to Yunta, about 186 miles from Adelaide, on September 27th.
His grandmother left him alone for about half an hour before looking for him, only to find the boy missing, triggering one of the largest land and air searches in the region's history.
Authorities - who do not think there was criminal activity - say they will carry on looking into, but that the situation has become a "recovery mission".
Last week, police temporarily wound down the hunt, only to restart it on Tuesday alongside 80 military members.
"Spokesperson Grant Stevens said police were looking a broader area based on updated assessments from medical and search professionals, rather than any new information."
On the end of last week, authorities confirmed that the latest operation had not discovered any traces of the child.
"The fact that the child is a little boy, the environment is extremely rugged, challenging and experiencing variable weather conditions has made the mission difficult and more difficult for those involved," authorities said in a release.
About 470 square kilometers - an area about twice the area of urban center - has now been scanned, and a twelve-member unit created recently is expected to persist examining. Officials have not discounted further searches of the property in the coming days.
The boy, who has been characterized as an curious but shy youngster, was last seen wearing a grey cap, light grey long pants, shoes and a blue long-sleeved top featuring a yellow Minion character.
The incident has sparked substantial concern throughout the country, with images of the blond, wavy-haired boy featured throughout regional news and conjecture circulating extensively digitally.
It prompted police to ask that members of the public discontinue contacting them with their "speculations", and appeal for them to obtain information from trustworthy places.
Officials lately said the boy's family continue to be "strong" despite the tragic situation.
"It's easy to comprehend just how they are feeling... without having information as to specifically where Gus is and what's happened to him. This would be traumatic for all family," Commissioner the commissioner said.
Through a family representative, the Lamont family has previously said they are "heartbroken" by Gus's vanishing.
"This constitutes a trauma to our household and loved ones, and we are having trouble to understand what has transpired," a family representative said.
"The child's disappearance is felt in each family member, and we miss him exceeding expressions can describe."
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