The roughly 120 searchers looking near Crowsnest Pass, Alta., for a six-year-old boy with autism continue to focus on the positive, despite a complete absence of clues.
“There are high hopes here,” Alberta Search and Rescue’s Adam Kennedy told reporters in a video news conference Thursday afternoon.
“I haven’t seen discouragement among any of the searchers at this point.”
Adam Kennedy is with Alberta Search and Rescue. He says morale is still high in the search for a missing six-year-old autistic boy near Crowsnest Pass. (RCMP)
Darius Macdougall, who is autistic, was reported missing Sunday after he didn’t return from a walk with six of his family members, none of whom are adults, near their campsite at Island Lake Campground near the Alberta-B.C. boundary.
RCMP confirmed those family members were not necessarily siblings.
“The RCMP continues to work close with the family, providing resources when required. You can imagine their stress right now and it is appreciated that the media is giving them privacy,” Cpl. Gina Slaney of Alberta RCMP said.
Kennedy said all resources have been considered in the search for the boy, who is from Lethbridge, Alta.
“The priorities remain pushing further out routes that Darius may have travelled on, while continuing to cover areas previously searched. The current average search radius is approximately four kilometres, with some trail searches extending out to approximately eight kilometres,” he explained.
Currently, ground teams, RCMP air services, drones, and search dogs are focused on finding the boy, he added.
Searchers are trying to find a six-year-old boy who went missing near a campground in southern Alberta on Sunday. (RCMP)
The drones are equipped with software that can analyze footage too small for the human eye. The military has not been deployed, but conversations are taking place, Kennedy explained.
Macdougall’s autism has added additional challenges to the search, but search leaders have adapted the techniques to improve the odds, avoiding bright lights at night and playing one of Macdougall’s favourite songs.
RCMP had previously stated the boy was five years old, but later corrected that to six.
Daily updates on the case are expected from the RCMP, Slaney said.