On 2 February 2026 Task Force Horizon officers searched several locations around Oak Park Station for the remains of Gus. The latest renewal of this effort, prompted by recent rainfall across the region, has concluded without the recovery of new evidence or any breakthrough in establishing what happened to the four-year-old.
The intensive search operation reflects the persistence of South Australian Police in pursuing what the South Australian Police described as the largest and most intensive missing-person search undertaken by SA Police. The search for Gus Lamont involved 163 SAPOL members, 230 non-SAPOL resources including SES, The Australian Defence Force, an Indigenous tracker and community volunteers.
Gus was last seen outside by his grandmother around 5:00 pm on 27 September 2025, when she says she saw him playing on a mound of dirt. According to her, at 5:30 pm she went outside to call him in, only to find him missing. The property, located some 40 kilometres south of Yunta in South Australia's outback, has since become the focal point of an investigation that has consumed considerable public resources and generated national attention.
The investigation took a significant turn in early February when police formally declared the disappearance a major crime. "Despite these extraordinary efforts, all of the combined searches have found no evidence, physical or otherwise, to suggest Gus has wandered off," Det. Supt. Fielke said. Task Force Horizon investigators have found no evidence to suggest Gus was abducted. Task Force Horizon is now focusing the investigation on persons known to Gus as possibly being involved in his disappearance and suspected death.
The police response has been methodical. As a result of recent investigations on 14 and 15 January 2026 detectives attended Oak Park Station and executed a search warrant. A comprehensive forensic search of the homestead was conducted and detectives seized a number of items, including a vehicle, a motorcycle and electronic devices for forensic examination. Yet months of searching across nearly 500 square kilometres, including the inspection of mine shafts and the draining of dams, has yielded no trace of the boy.
Gus's family have experienced profound strain throughout the investigation. The grandparents of Gus Lamont have said they were "absolutely devastated" to learn that South Australian police had declared the four-year-old's disappearance a major crime. Their statement comes a day after police revealed they had identified a suspect who lived at Oak Park Station, about 250km north of Adelaide, where Gus was last seen on 27 September last year. Gus' grandparents, Josie and Shannon Murray, said the family had "cooperated fully with the investigation and want nothing more than to find Gus and reunite him with his mum and dad".
"I anticipate there will be further searches at Oak Park Station and at several sites on an adjacent national park to locate Gus as new information and intelligence comes to hand as the investigation continues," Det. Supt. Fielke said. The investigation remains open, with police indicating they will continue returning to the property as developments warrant. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the disappearance.