Lansdowne Station children Lily and Jack Sullivan missing since Friday morning

LANSDOWNE – The search continues for Lansdowne, Pictou County children Lily and Jack Sullivan. Incident commander, RCMP Staff Sgt. Josh Weiss said it’s done with a combination of “exhaustion” and “optimism” by RCMP search teams.

“We want to bring these two children home to their parents,” Weiss said, as he and Cpl. Carlie McCann, public information officer for Nova Scotia RCMP, met with reporters on May 6 in Lansdowne Station.

“We have people who have been here since day one, the first time the call came in. They’re tired, but they remain optimistic.

“This is all search and rescue does, they try to bring people home safely,” he said. “They’re trying to stay on focus, on mission, and they’re sacrificing their personal lives – a lot of time to be here – to try and help this family out and bring these children home.”

Lily and Jack went missing Friday morning from their Lansdowne home in a rural part of Pictou County, roughly 25 minutes southwest of New Glasgow. The search is through dense forest.

“It’s difficult,” Weiss said. “You have blow-down (trees, vegetation) from the last few storms, from Fiona. You have bugs, heat exhaustion, it’s cold at night, and water pouring down on your head.

“And this terrain is not flat. It’s uphill and downhill, there are holes, cervices, and bogs – it’s a lot of work. It’s physical exhaustion for these searchers when they’re out there doing their thing.”

Weiss said the search area expands daily as searchers, RCMP, and ground search and rescue (GSAR) teams from around the province exclude an area.

“The search has expanded every single day as we exclude one area,” he said. “There are times we’ll go back and re-search an area because children will go back and wander around.” A search helicopter flies over the area where Lansdowne Station Road and Gairloch Road meet in Lansdowne, Pictou County, on May 6, as part of the search for missing children Lily and Jack Sullivan. Photo by Richard MacKenzie /The News
Still a missing persons case

With a few of the questions from reporters venturing into the ongoing investigation area, McCann emphasized the point that they can only answer questions pertaining to the search at this time.

“This does remain a missing persons investigation,” McCann said. “At this point, we’re still treating it as missing people, and our goal is still, with the police and searchers on scene, the variety of GSAR teams, to locate Lily and Jack and bring them home safe.

“I can’t comment on the investigation, just the search.”

Drones searching for missing persons

McCann talked about the use of drones, which include forward-looking infrared (FLIR) technology, which helps the search proceed throughout the night and early morning hours.

“The goal of the drones with the FLIR technology is to locate differences in temperatures on the ground. When those spots are identified, searchers on the ground can then head to those areas to investigate. Night-time searches using these drones are an effective way to continue the search 24/7,” she said.

As search and rescue vehicles from across the province drove past where McCann and Weiss were being interviewed, she talked about the number of searchers on the ground.

“There have been well over 100 (searchers on the ground) every day,” she said. “There has been an absolutely incredible turnout from the GSAR teams across the province here in partnership with the RCMP, and other sources.

“The outpouring of support from so many volunteers, who have given up so much of their time to be here, has been incredible.”

McCann added that they are still asking the public not to come into the search area at this time.

“We do continue to ask the public to not come to the site to volunteer or participate in the search because the GSAR folks have very specialized training and skills they can use,” she said. “They’re aware of what they have to do to conduct thorough and effective searches and are aware as well what they have to do to keep safe for themselves and the others on their team, while they’re searching.”

  Joe Kippax, Pictou County volunteer lead, and Major Daniel Roode of the Pictou County Salvation Army, talked about the role their organization is playing in supporting the hundreds of searchers, including from the RCMP and ground search and rescue groups from across the province, who are looking for Lily and Jack Sullivan. Photo by Richard MacKenzie /The News
Helping the searches

Providing aid to the searchers are members of the local Salvation Army, as well as their provincial colleagues.

“The Salvation Army’s primary role in this has been to provide food, moral support, and emotional support to the searches,” said Major Daniel Roode, representing the Salvation Army for Pictou, Antigonish, and Guysborough Counties.

“There are a variety of agencies involved, and our role is not in the search but in support of the searchers.”

From nearby Stellarton, Roode talked about the mentality of county residents coming together in times of crisis.

“These aren’t just people you see or hear about in the media; these are our people,” Roode said. “At the real heart of it, this isn’t about speculation, what ifs, this is about a community looking for Jack and Lily and wanting to see them come home. That is our desire as a community and as the Salvation Army.”

  A view of a forest area in the small rural community of Lansdowne, Pictou County which exemplifies the difficult terrain facing searchers as they scour the area looking for missing children Lily and Jack Sullivan. Photo by Richard MacKenzie /The News