LANSDOWNE STATION, N.S.: The RCMP are scaling back the major search efforts ongoing in Pictou County for two siblings who were reported missing on May 2.

At the same time, officers said that the likelihood of their surviving given the weather and terrain is likely low.

The multi-agency search for six-year-old Lily Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan have involved officers and search crews from across the province.

Lily and Jack were reported missing on May 2, at approximately 10 a.m. It’s believed they wandered away from their home on Gairloch Rd. in Lansdown Station, Pictou County.

The two have connections through family to Sipekne’katik First Nation.

This search has included many agencies, including volunteer ground search and rescue teams from all surrounding areas and New Brunswick, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, the Nova Scotia Guard, the Salvation Army, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Department of Natural Resources Air Services, Nova Scotia Public Safety and Field Communications, Canada Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 5, and several RCMP units, including Police Dog Services, drone operators, and the RCMP’s Major Crime Unit.

“It has been an all-hands-on-deck effort, using every available resource and tool,” says Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon, District Commander for Pictou County District RCMP.

“We’re transitioning from a full-scale search to searches in smaller, more specific areas; we’ll be retracing our steps to ensure all clues have been found.”

Since the search began on May 2, it has been concentrated in the Gairloch Rd. area and has covered four square kilometres of heavily wooded, rural terrain.

Nova Scotia: Siblings Lily, 6, and Jack, 4, have been missing in rural Canada for four days | CNN

Up to 160 trained volunteer searchers, along with many others, have been involved in the search each day.

Tens of thousands of search hours have been dedicated to scouring the area, and GSAR has confirmed that over 100 tracks have been laid using GPS and grid searches.

Efforts to locate Lily and Jack have also included two vulnerable missing persons alerts. One was issued in Pictou County on May 2.

And on May 3, a broadcast intrusive alert was issued to Antigonish, Colchester, and Pictou counties.

“I want to assure Nova Scotians that our missing persons investigation continues,” says Staff Sergeant MacKinnon. “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.”