RCMP informed the public that they would be scaling back search efforts for Lily and Jack Sullivan.
At a news conference Wednesday, the RCMP confirmed that active ground search efforts for six-year-old Lillian and four-year-old Jack Sullivan are being scaled back. “We are transitioning from a full-scale search to searches of more specific spaces,” said Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon. “We want to circle back to increase the probability that all clues have been found.”
RCMP officials said the likelihood of survival is now considered low, citing time passed, environmental conditions, and the children’s ages. “That decision was made based on a number of factors,” said a senior RCMP official. “If we thought they were alive right now, we’d still be out there.”
Search crews have put in tens of thousands of search hours and have covered more than four square kilometres of dense terrain around Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station since the children were reported missing.
“These woods… are very thick,” said Amy Hansen of Colchester Ground Search and Rescue. “We’re starting to see more injuries coming back the last couple of days—it’s hard, it’s draining.”
RCMP say the investigation into the children’s disappearance remains active.
“We’re not packing up and we’re not giving up,” MacKinnon said. “We’ll continue to investigate, and chase leads for as long and as hard as we have to.”
Lily and Jack Sullivan, six and four-years-old, have been missing from their home on Gairloch Road near Lansdowne Station since Friday.
According to police, the pair wandered from their home around 10 a.m.
Since, the community has rallied behind the family as the search continues for the sixth day.
The Salvation Army is making food for the search and rescue workers, as well as emotional and moral support.
Daniel Roode represents the Pictou County branch of the group, and he says the whole community feels for Jack and Lily’s family.
They’re going out of their way to help however they can, offering the team free coffee when he went to buy some.
“Even if it’s a cup of coffee, even if it’s some meat, even if it’s cookies or whatever it is, they want to do something because they so much care.”
He says he also visited a grocery store when the meat cutter had gone home. But once a woman working there knew Roode and his team were making food for the search crews, she offered to cut the meat they needed.
People can imagine what it would be like if their own children were missing, he says, and that’s part of the reason they want to help.
Overall, many of the searcher teams are volunteers, and Roode says it’s a privilege to help people who are going above and beyond the call of duty to bring the two kids home.
But people have been searching for five days.
Daniel Roode with the Pictou County branch of the Salvation Army (right) and Joe Kippax, volunteer lead, talk to reporters on May 6, 2025. (Jacob Moore/Acadia Broadcasting)
Search enters sixth day
According to Daniel Martell, the step-father of the children, some of the members of the search and rescue teams must be getting tired, because he is.
“It’s already been five long days. I’m physically exhausted. I imagine all these searchers and everybody on the ground and everybody in the sky is probably pretty exhausted as well,” said Martell.
He got emotional after speaking to rescue team official Tuesday morning, but he says they are doing everything they can.
Martell says the boy was wearing a diaper and the girl had on a backpack when they went missing, and after five days, they would have left them somewhere to be found.
Daniel Martell, step father to Lily and Jack Sullivan, says he’s holding onto hope they will be found. (Jacob Moore/Acadia Broadcasting)
Still considered missing persons case: RCMP
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Carlie McCann says the search is still going, and it is still a missing persons case. She would not say whether the major crimes unit is investigating.
However, she revealed some details of a search technique involving drones. She says these drones use FLIR technology, also known as Forward Looking Infrared Technology, to look for different temperatures on the ground. Once they identify an area, they send searchers to get a better look.
“Using drones are an effective way to continue the searches 24 hours,” says McCann.
She also would not reveal if searches have found any evidence related to the case.
McCann says there is no evidence to suggest the children were abducted. Because of this, she explained, an Amber Alert has not been issued.
However, a vulnerable person’s alert was issued Friday and again Saturday, in an expanded area including Antigonish County, Colchester County and Pictou County.
“There’s been hundreds and hundreds of hours put in by so many people from across the province, police, GSR [Ground Search and Rescue] teams, other agencies who’ve been involved, and it continues to be everyone’s goal to bring to bring Jack and Lily home safe.”
Hitting hard
The Warden of The Municipality of Pictou said the tragedy has hit the community hard.
Robert Parker told our newsroom it is the most upset he’s seen residents since the Westray Disaster.
“I’ve seen some of the most stoic people that I know, that normally don’t seem bothered by …or don’t show it anyway… about anything, but they’re certainly showing it,” said Parker.
“Our children are special, and they say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, the village in this case is certainly all of Pictou County and beyond.”
Parker added, despite anxiety, there is still hope and nobody is giving up, however, he also does not want people to jump to conclusions.
“The idea is to stay positive here, I think and trust the searchers to do their job and pray for a positive outcome,” said Parker.
Photo: Google Maps
Comments