Current 4yo Boy Missing Yunta SA

[passball]

I think maybe March 2025.

Is that the date of the photo?

 

[dc3]

Also a mate of mine mentioned yesterday that they didn’t empty the damn to find a body it would have been to look for potential evidence. Body’s will float once they’ve sunk to the bottom as gasses build up.

Unless punctured with holes

 

[Cataholic]

Unless punctured with holes

Odds are he isn't in the dam.

Initially searched by divers, all but drained, then searched again by people wading through the remaining waters.

 

[Wallace52]

Is that the date of the photo?

Yeah I think so. He went to an open day at his school for 2026 and that was in like March 2025 and the photo was taken there at the school open day.

 

[passball]

Unless punctured with holes

A person in the navy told me what you would do to stop a body floating.
They were a diver for the navy, Vietnam.
Didnt even ask them a question about that, was just random info

 

[passball]

Yeah I think so. He went to an open day at his school for 2026 and that was in like March 2025 and the photo was taken there at the school open day.

So 7 months or so ago.
Do you know what school?
Dad or Grandma's choice?

 

[Cataholic]

Yeah I think so. He went to an open day at his school for 2026 and that was in like March 2025 and the photo was taken there at the school open day.

So if that's true there's no photographic proof of life for the 6 months prior to his disappearance.

I'm presuming the police have obtained far more recent evidence of proof of life from whatever town they frequented for groceries, doctor appointments etc?

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Well, they had 45 minutes of daylight, so presumably that was spent searching around the dam, sheds and immediate surrounds of the house.

Then they apparently spent 135 minutes in the dark searching......where?

Would've required lighting however they did it.

And during all this neither the police or his dad were alerted.

That's some sort of composure. I'm thinking most mums and families would be hysterical under such circumstances.

That 45 minutes of daylight search would assume the Mother and Grandma 2 came back at the moment he was discovered missing.
If they were still out then the initial search by Grandma 1 would have been limited by how much ground she could cover whilst also having the 1yo to consider.

I doubt there was much daylight searching at all.

 

[Cataholic]

That 45 minutes of daylight search would assume the Mother and Grandma 2 came back at the moment he was discovered missing.
If they were still out then the initial search by Grandma 1 would have been limited by how much ground she could cover whilst also having the 1yo to consider.

I doubt there was much daylight searching at all.

Exactly. I was being generous.

There seems to be no public knowledge of exactly when the two returned from work.

 

[DropBearess]

I may have missed this info, but can anyone tell me precisely how far the sand/dirt pile is from the house? Knowing this would really help in that we can all Googlemap and visualise the distance in terms of our own place to place situation.

 

[Cataholic]

I may have missed this info, but can anyone tell me precisely how far the sand/dirt pile is from the house? Knowing this would really help in that we can all Googlemap and visualise the distance in terms of our own place to place situation.

I haven't seen a precise distance, but 7News have an image on Google showing the home and the spot Gus was allegedly playing.

It's not in the immediate vicinity, and also seems to be hidden from the house by some trees.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

I may have missed this info, but can anyone tell me precisely how far the sand/dirt pile is from the house? Knowing this would really help in that we can all Googlemap and visualise the distance in terms of our own place to place situation.

15-20m.

There was a picture earlier in the thread that showed the dirt pile with trees, raised grass area and trampoline in the background.
If you look the station up on Google Maps and view the homestead from the front where the looped driveway is the dirtpile and excavation it was likely sourced from is to the left of the driveway.
It looks as though the dirt pile is sifted from the stoney excavation as the picture also featured a trommel.

 

[Underarrest_]

If Jessica and Grandparent went to tend to the sheep, were they on bikes or in a vehicle?

 

[shorsky]

Yeah I think so. He went to an open day at his school for 2026 and that was in like March 2025 and the photo was taken there at the school open day.

I’ve been wondering where he was in that photo, playing with all the play dough. I hadn’t read about the school open day.
I had read that Josh was fixing the house for the family all to be there, in readiness for Gus starting school in 2026.

 

[Kurve]

If Jessica and Grandparent went to tend to the sheep, were they on bikes or in a vehicle?

That information seems to be absent or I haven't read it.

On my rellos sheep farm which was only a two gater driveway not a six, we had quads that were used the most but depending on what had to be done, sometimes the ute. If it was just checking on things, two wheel dirt bikes.

 

[shorsky]

15-20m.

There was a picture earlier in the thread that showed the dirt pile with trees, raised grass area and trampoline in the background.
If you look the station up on Google Maps and view the homestead from the front where the looped driveway is the dirtpile and excavation it was likely sourced from is to the left of the driveway.
It looks as though the dirt pile is sifted from the stoney excavation as the picture also featured a trommel.

It struck me that the photos we saw of that dirt pile must not have been from when / just after Gus was playing there, because there were no toys evident.
From what I know of little boys & dirt piles, there’s usually a truck or tractor or vehicle, or a spade - something, even if it’s make believe from sticks etc. (kids have great imaginations. .we used to build roads & bridges, and mark out paddocks; we’d find just the right sticks to make ‘stick horses’ with string for reins; and we’d pick particular weeds that we pretended to cook with etc )

 

[passball]

15-20m.

There was a picture earlier in the thread that showed the dirt pile with trees, raised grass area and trampoline in the background.
If you look the station up on Google Maps and view the homestead from the front where the looped driveway is the dirtpile and excavation it was likely sourced from is to the left of the driveway.
It looks as though the dirt pile is sifted from the stoney excavation as the picture also featured a trommel.

I was wondering what that thing was, so it's a trommel. It's nasty.
Pretty dangerous i would think if a small child were to enter.
Is it big enough for a small child to enter?
AI says it is.
That would be a tragic accident.

Why was he allowed to play in that area, for 30 unsupervised minutes, by family narrative.
I'd be concerned with letting a 4 year old have freeplay on that property.
His playground is a nightmare.
Ahhh, remembering that trampoline for one

 

[passball]

It struck me that the photos we saw of that dirt pile must not have been from when / just after Gus was playing there, because there were no toys evident.
From what I know of little boys & dirt piles, there’s usually a truck or tractor or vehicle, or a spade - something, even if it’s make believe from sticks etc. (kids have great imaginations. .we used to build roads & bridges, and mark out paddocks; we’d find just the right sticks to make ‘stick horses’ with string for reins; and we’d pick particular weeds that we pretended to cook with etc )

He had a spade.
If he was digging there and it was compacted i doubt a plastic spade would be useful.
You are right though, pretty much always a digger type of toy, hot wheels trucks or cars, a bucket, something other than he had a spade and dirt.
I'm even bored thinking of that activity. There has to be more stuff, hopefully there was

 

[Cataholic]

I was wondering what that thing was, so it's a trommel. It's nasty.
Pretty dangerous i would think if a small child were to enter.
Is it big enough for a small child to enter?
AI says it is.
That would be a tragic accident.

Why was he allowed to play in that area, for 30 unsupervised minutes, by family narrative.
I'd be concerned with letting a 4 year old have freeplay on that property.
His playground is a nightmare.
Ahhh, remembering that trampoline for one

Gus was allegedly playing on a dirt pile that appears to be the best part of 20 metres from the house.

A direct line of sight between the house and said dirt pile is possibly compromised by foliage.

Just a couple of days ago a snake was allegedly on their very porch. The grandparent obviously felt sufficiently threatened by it to wield a shotgun.

Yet Gus, a 4yo child, was left unattended, out of sight, for 30 minutes in such an environment. Hardly seems safe or responsible.

They've searched everywhere using drones, infrared, helicopters, SES, police, divers, vehicles, and an indigenous tracker, but they didn't find a single clue to prove he was even there.

 

[31550]

Gus was allegedly playing on a dirt pile that appears to be the best part of 20 metres from the house.

A direct line of sight between the house and said dirt pile is possibly compromised by foliage.

Just a couple of days ago a snake was allegedly on their very porch. The grandparent obviously felt sufficiently threatened by it to wield a shotgun.

Yet Gus, a 4yo child, was left unattended, out of sight, for 30 minutes in such an environment. Hardly seems safe or responsible.

They've searched everywhere using drones, infrared, helicopters, SES, police, divers, vehicles, and an indigenous tracker, but they didn't find a single clue to prove he was even there.

The only FACT in the above is the final sentence (bolded by me). The remainder is just unsubstantiated narrative.

 

[Cataholic]

The only FACT in the above is the final sentence (bolded by me). The remainder is just unsubstantiated narrative.

Correct.

The police have very little substantiated fact to work with. They can't even prove he was there on the day.

 

[Underarrest_]

If the property is 600 square kms and police have searched 5 or so square kms, there’s a lot of land left.
The family have said they were within 10 kms of each other. Maybe the search needs to go beyond 10 kms.

 

[31550]

If the property is 600 square kms and police have searched 5 or so square kms, there’s a lot of land left.
The family have said they were within 10 kms of each other. Maybe the search needs to go beyond 10 kms.

I think the police need to think more broadly than conducting a "search" operation.
They have had a month to search the immediate area, and have come up with absolutely nothing.
There is no indication he is currently ON the property anywhere.
They need to establish a verified timeline for Gus's movements, and those of people known to be on the property and/or closely associated with Gus.
Then develop a working theory or theories for what else could have happened to Gus (other than simply wandering off).
There is nothing to be gained from continued searching of the property - if Gus is there, then sadly, they can't help him now.
They are better off putting their energy and resources into other avenues of investigation. There's a (very remote) chance Gus is still alive somewhere. In any case, if he is not on the property, then there has been human intervention, which means somebody knows something. The sooner that information is discovered the better. IMO.

 

[Underarrest_]

I think the police need to think more broadly than conducting a "search" operation.
They have had a month to search the immediate area, and have come up with absolutely nothing.
There is no indication he is currently ON the property anywhere.
They need to establish a verified timeline for Gus's movements, and those of people known to be on the property and/or closely associated with Gus.
Then develop a working theory or theories for what else could have happened to Gus (other than simply wandering off).
There is nothing to be gained from continued searching of the property - if Gus is there, then sadly, they can't help him now.
They are better off putting their energy and resources into other avenues of investigation. There's a (very remote) chance Gus is still alive somewhere. In any case, if he is not on the property, then there has been human intervention, which means somebody knows something. The sooner that information is discovered the better. IMO.

My guess is police have had an open mind and been looking for any signs of where Gus could be during the searches. 600 square kms is a huge area. I’d imagine you might not have to leave the property.

 

[Cataholic]

I think the police need to think more broadly than conducting a "search" operation.
They have had a month to search the immediate area, and have come up with absolutely nothing.
There is no indication he is currently ON the property anywhere.
They need to establish a verified timeline for Gus's movements, and those of people known to be on the property and/or closely associated with Gus.
Then develop a working theory or theories for what else could have happened to Gus (other than simply wandering off).
There is nothing to be gained from continued searching of the property - if Gus is there, then sadly, they can't help him now.
They are better off putting their energy and resources into other avenues of investigation. There's a (very remote) chance Gus is still alive somewhere. In any case, if he is not on the property, then there has been human intervention, which means somebody knows something. The sooner that information is discovered the better. IMO.

Agreed.

Imo, I think the police need to identify the last verified moment Gus was seen by an independent witness, then carefully work forward from there.

It's hard to imagine a 4yo wandering beyond the search area in the 1.25 hrs of daylight he had available, assuming the narrative that he was last seen at 5pm and darkness fell 6:15pm.

It's also hard to conceive a 4yo wandering at all after 6:15pm......he would've been frightened by the darkness and the fact he didn't know where the house was.