Disappearance Occurred on Remote South Australian Sheep Station Four‑year‑old Gus Lamont vanished from the Oak Park sheep station on 27 September 2025, a remote property in South Australia’s outback [1]. The location’s isolation limited immediate rescue options and prompted early concerns about a possible wander‑off [1]. Police quickly ruled out parental involvement, stating the parents were not under investigation [1].

Police Classify Case as Major Crime and Form Taskforce On 5 February 2026, authorities elevated the investigation to a “major crime” status, reflecting the seriousness and complexity of the case [1]. A 12‑member taskforce was assembled in late October to scrutinize inconsistencies in family statements and coordinate the multi‑agency response [1]. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke emphasized the thoroughness of the inquiry and reiterated that the parents remain cleared [1].

Search Covered 470 sq km Using Ground and Air Assets Police deployed one of the state’s largest land‑air operations, scanning roughly 470 sq km—about twice the size of Edinburgh—through coordinated helicopter flights, fixed‑wing patrols, and ground teams [1]. The extensive sweep continued for four months, involving local volunteers, wildlife officers, and specialized search dogs [1]. Despite the scale, no definitive trace of the child was found during this period [1].

Resident of Oak Park Station Named Suspect After Raid In January 2026, officers raided the Oak Park station, seizing a car, a motorcycle and several electronic devices as part of the ongoing probe [1]. The raid led investigators to identify a resident of the property as the primary suspect, ending his prior cooperation with police [1]. The suspect’s connection to the case emerged from the taskforce’s review of timeline discrepancies and evidence gathered during the search [1].

Parents Remain Cleared While Three Scenarios Were Evaluated Investigators considered three possibilities: the child walking off, an abduction, or harm by someone he knew [1]. The remote setting effectively ruled out a stranger abduction, and lack of footprints or other evidence dismissed a simple wander‑off [1]. Consequently, focus shifted to the resident suspect, while the parents continued to be publicly cleared of any wrongdoing [1].