The search for Lilly and Jack Sullivan is ongoing, with both ground and air operations scheduled for May 17.

Several ground and rescue teams will be working alongside the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and the RCMP, concentrating their efforts on specific areas near Gairloch Road.

Authorities are requesting that the public stay clear of the search zone to ensure the teams can operate without disruption.

As we know, an investigation has been ongoing, and with hope, authorities are pursuing leads that will provide answers about the whereabouts of the missing children and what may have happened to them.

The search for missing siblings Lilly and Jack Sullivan is continuing with renewed efforts and increased coordination among search and rescue teams. As of May 17, both ground and aerial search operations are being carried out in targeted areas near Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia, as part of the ongoing effort to locate the two young children.

Lilly, 6, and Jack, 4, were first reported missing on the morning of May 10, when they were discovered to be absent from their home. Since that time, authorities have launched a large-scale search, supported by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), provincial search and rescue teams, canine units, and aviation resources. Despite exhaustive efforts over the past week, no definitive signs of the children have yet been found.

On May 17, the RCMP confirmed that the search had entered a new phase, focusing intensively on specific areas identified through investigative leads. Multiple search and rescue units have returned to the region, working in tandem with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) to reexamine terrain already covered, as well as to investigate new zones of interest. These renewed efforts signal a continued commitment from authorities, even as some initial resources have been scaled back.

Officials are urging members of the public to avoid the designated search areas to ensure that professional teams can conduct their work without interference. While public support and interest remain high, untrained individuals in the search zone can unintentionally disturb evidence or hinder coordination between teams. Law enforcement has reiterated the importance of maintaining secure perimeters and has thanked the public for their cooperation and continued vigilance.

The case has drawn national attention, not only due to the children’s ages and the rural nature of their disappearance, but also due to the growing questions surrounding the circumstances. The children’s mother and stepfather have reported that the two vanished sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. after leaving the home through a sliding door. According to the stepfather, he heard the children in the kitchen and then realized minutes later that they were no longer there. Their boots were also missing, leading the family to believe the children left on their own.

However, after several days of coordinated searching using ground crews, thermal imaging from helicopters, dive teams for nearby bodies of water, and trained dogs, there has been no trace of Lilly or Jack. No clothing, footprints, or personal items have been located—unusual in missing persons cases involving children in wooded or rural terrain.

Former homicide investigators and search experts following the case have commented on the perplexing lack of physical evidence. Without witnesses, surveillance footage, or solid leads from neighbors, police are working with limited information, which makes the search both more difficult and more urgent.

While police have not suggested foul play publicly, they continue to treat the disappearance as a priority investigation and are following all possible avenues. Behind the scenes, investigators are also conducting interviews, checking digital records, and analyzing phone data. As of now, no charges have been laid, and family members have not been named as suspects, but inconsistencies in their statements have raised public concern.

Part of the investigation has included contact with Child Protective Services, as the children’s 16-month-old sibling, Meadow, has been placed in temporary care. This move has fueled speculation that authorities may have broader concerns about the family environment, though officials have declined to comment on the reason for CPS involvement. Stepfather Daniel Martell has acknowledged that he is not currently permitted to see Meadow, citing ongoing legal restrictions.

Despite the difficulties, search leaders have emphasized that they remain hopeful. One of the key goals for May 17 is to exhaust every viable location where the children might be found, whether they wandered into a remote part of the woods or encountered someone who took them elsewhere. By re-searching zones with renewed focus and advanced tools, authorities hope to uncover something—however small—that could provide a breakthrough.

In communities around Pictou County and across Nova Scotia, support continues to pour in. Posters with the children’s faces hang in shop windows and on bulletin boards, while prayer circles and candlelight vigils have been organized by residents. Schools in the area have offered counseling support for students and families affected by the case, and online forums continue to share verified updates and safety information.

Law enforcement has issued a public reminder to be cautious about misinformation circulating on social media. Several unverified claims, including video footage and unsourced theories, have been widely shared online, adding to confusion and distress among the public. The RCMP asks anyone with credible information to come forward directly rather than posting unverified content, which can compromise the investigation.

The families of Lilly and Jack have made public appeals, expressing heartbreak and pleading for anyone with knowledge of the children’s whereabouts to speak out. While emotions have run high and tensions have risen amid speculation, the central focus remains the safe return of the missing children.

For now, the communities of Pictou County wait. Every hour that passes adds urgency to the search, but investigators and volunteers remain committed. The RCMP has made it clear that while the nature of the search may shift in the days ahead, the case will not be forgotten, and the pursuit of answers will not stop.

As the sun rises again over the wooded hills and backroads of Lansdowne Station, hope endures. Somewhere out there, many believe, are two small children who need to be found. And so, with boots on the ground and eyes in the sky, the search for Lilly and Jack Sullivan continues.