It’s been eight days since siblings Lilly and Jack Sullivan were reported missing by their mother in rural Canada, with no sightings of the two.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have scoured through dense forest with 160 trained volunteers alongside drones and K9 units, before announcing mid-week that they would “scale back” search efforts, The Guardian reported.

After days of searching around Pictou County where Jack, 4, and Lilly, 6, were last seen at home, Sergeant Robert McCamon said confidence was dropping in finding the siblings.

“The likelihood they’re alive right now is very low,” he said during a press conference, The Guardian reported.

Newsweek has reached out to the RCMP via email Saturday for the latest details on the search for the missing pair.

The Context

The latest press release from the RCMP said the children are believed to have wandered away from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdown Station, Pictou County.

The case is being treated as suspicious per protocol as all missing persons cases “are treated as suspicious until our investigation leads us to determine otherwise” Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon said during a press conference, according to the CBC.

What To Know

The children are members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation, the second largest Mi’kmaw community in Nova Scotia, according to the tribe’s post on Facebook.

“Our Chief and Council, administration, and the entire community are united in our strong desire to see these children return home safely,” the tribe wrote in its post on Tuesday. “Our thoughts are with them every moment until they are found.”

In an on-camera interview outside of the family home, Daniel Martell, stepfather to the missing children, told the CBC that he and his wife, Malehya Brooks-Murray, were with their baby when they believe the kids went out the back sliding door.

The stepfather told the CBC he’s been fully cooperating and giving the police access to “everything I own.”

Martell said the kids were not at school on the Friday they were reported missing or the day before because Lilly had a cough.

“They searched every rock, every root. Everything,” Martell said. “I’ve been giving them every detail, everything from my bank account statements to all the information that came off my Google maps.”

The CBC reported that Martell has even offered to take a polygraph test, although authorities wouldn’t confirm to the outlet whether that was taking place.

“I just want to clear it up for everyone, not just the people online making crazy accusations and everything else,” he said. “I asked for that early on, and there’s not many places that do that in Canada, so they’re flying somebody in.”

Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon of the RCMP speaks to reporters about the search for Lily Sullivan and Jack Sullivan in Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia on May 7. Ron Ward/The Canadian Press via AP
What People Are Saying

Cyndy Murray, the children’s grandmother, told The Canadian Press: “We’re just hoping and praying for the best—that’s it—for our babies to come home.”

Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon said during a press conference: “I want to assure Nova Scotians that our missing persons investigation continues. Our focus remains on finding Lily and Jack. Our best investigators are working every aspect of this file, and our work won’t stop until we know where Lily and Jack are and can bring them home.”

The Sipekne’katik Chief & Council posted on Facebook: “We encourage community members to come together to support one another. Whether through sharing helpful information, providing emotional support, or participating in awareness efforts, every action counts. Let’s continue to keep Jack and Lily close in our hearts and minds as we navigate this challenging time together.”

What Happens Next?

MacKinnon told reporters they would continue to go back over searched areas with smaller crews to focus on specific locations.