Hey guys, I want to give a quick update on this weekend’s searches for missing six-year-old Lily and four-year-old Jack Sullivan from Lansdown Station, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The initial search was called off on May 7th. Of course, if you’ve been following this case, you’ll know that Lily and Jack were reported missing around 10:00 a.m. on May 2nd. Yesterday and continuing today, the searchers are back. They’re conducting a detailed search of the area around Garlock Road, close to Lily and Jack’s home.

We’ve got updates from the RCMP and also from one of the search teams. We’ll start off with the RCMP update, which was reported on the Facebook page of Truro and Colchester Code One Coverage.

From the RCMP:

Ground and air search efforts were conducted today, May 17th, in Pictou County, as the missing persons investigation into the disappearance of Lily and Jack Sullivan continues.
More than 100 volunteer searchers from Colchester, Halifax, East Hants, Pictou County, and Strait Area Ground Search and Rescue, along with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, focused on specific areas around Garlock Road in an effort to locate Lily and Jack and advance the RCMP investigation.
The search was supported by Nova Scotia Public Safety Field Communications and EHS Emergency Preparedness Special Operations.
This search follows a large-scale air and ground operation that began on May 2nd and was scaled back on May 7th in favor of more specific searches. On May 8th and 9th, the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team scoured bodies of water around Lansdown Station. The two-day operation did not uncover any evidence.
The search will resume tomorrow, May 18th. We continue to ask that the public avoid the search area to allow trained searchers to do their work.

The group also provided a more detailed write-up as they followed the searches. Here’s what they observed:

The search in Lansdown continued until dark this evening and will resume tomorrow. Crews have been there since shortly after 6:30 a.m. There are close to 100 people searching and supporting both on the ground and in the air today—a remarkable resolve by a committed group of trained searchers.
Media were present in the field but stayed out of the active search areas. One area off Garlock Road felt like an almost vertical drop, as searchers carefully made their way down the slope, many wearing helmets.
Helmets were spaced at set distances as searchers entered the woods in a synchronized manner. Several drone and aerial pass searches were conducted today. Searchers worked in teams of four and coordinated closely via radio.
Nova Scotia emergency management personnel and EHS teams ensured Wi-Fi and ground communications were operational.
One searcher noted he pulled nine ticks off himself after exiting the woods. Black flies were described as “immeasurable” in number, flying into ears, eyes, and nostrils. Several searchers wore fly hoods.
This work has its challenges. Thank you to all who gave up their long weekend to search for Lily and Jack. Your work is very much appreciated.

CTV also provided a report:

Renewed ground and air search efforts took place in Lansdown Station on Saturday for six-year-old Lily and four-year-old Jack Sullivan.
“We have five of the teams across the province here—from Strait Area, Pictou County, Colchester, East Hants, and Halifax. We also have Civil Air Search and Rescue on site, as well as one of their drones. We have approximately 100 people on site now,” said Search Manager Amy Hansen.
The two children were last seen at their home on Garlock Road on May 2nd.
The children’s stepfather, Daniel Martell, said the renewed effort brings him hope.
“I know some people take days off work to even be here, so I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for everybody that is applying their search efforts,” said Martell.
Police had scaled back search efforts last week, saying there was little chance the siblings were alive, but that didn’t deter search and rescue teams on Saturday.
“We just come back in with fresh people to cover more areas because we haven’t resolved the situation yet,” said Hansen. “We just want to find these children and bring them home.”
After 15 days, Martell said he’s still hopeful the children will be found and continues to believe an abduction is possible.
“I’ve been calling for abduction since the first or second day, as you guys have seen on the news,” he said. “I wanted officers at all borders—New Brunswick and PEI—and the airports, but they said it wasn’t a concern. Now it’s obviously a concern.”
During the first part of the search, two search and rescue crew members were hospitalized and several others were injured. Hansen said heat exhaustion, sprained ankles, twisted knees, and a few bad falls were to blame. However, everyone seemed rested and in good spirits on Saturday.
“One of the reasons we actually suspended [the search] was because of the exhaustion and the stress. We were starting to see more injuries,” said Hansen.
Saturday’s search did not include helicopters, but Hansen said there were multiple drones in the air from different agencies. They conducted “hasty” searches before sending in teams for closer inspection.
“We are also expanding into areas we haven’t already had boots on the ground, just to get more areas covered,” she added.
Search and rescue crews have scoured several square kilometers of dense forest and swampy terrain through muggy temperatures and swarms of bugs since the children went missing.

The RCMP previously said they searched approximately 5.5 square kilometers (about 3.4 square miles), focusing more on the western side of the area.
“The woods here are pretty nasty,” said Hansen. “There’s a lot of storm damage, so there’s a lot of deadfall. The ticks are really bad—we’ve had people say they could see them crawling around on the ground. Black flies, obviously… oh god. Oh dear.”
[Personal note] I’d be bitten to shreds. Everything that can bite, bites me. I promise you. I’m so glad we don’t have a massive problem with ticks in my area. I’ve never had a tick bite. My dogs have never been bitten by ticks—mind you, they get treated periodically. Kyle had a tick bite last summer, but I’ve never had one.
So maybe not everything that can bite, bites me.
Anyway, continuing—Hansen said the team decides where to search next by analyzing behavior.
“Children follow patterns. We have statistics for distances traveled and stuff like that, so we try to cover all the areas we just haven’t had time or manpower to get into yet.”
More than two weeks have passed since the search began, but Hansen said the time frame has no bearing on their approach.
“Children in that age range tend to hide anyway, even early on. So it’s just a very thorough effort to get into all of these areas because if somebody is hiding under a deadfall or something like that, they have to be visible.”
Search and rescue personnel plan to continue the search Sunday if Lily and Jack are not found.
“The only reason we would stop is because we found them today.”
They didn’t find them.
The plan is to go again tomorrow, hoping to have at least another 100 people and push through until the end of the day.
Plans for the search after Sunday are currently unknown.