The Stepfather of the missing NOVA SCOTIA children is calling on the public to help search for them!

The stepfather of two children missing in a rural area of Pictou County, N.S., said TODAY, he wants authorities to monitor the New Brunswick border and nearby airports in case the children were abducted.

Jack Sullivan, 4, below left, and Lily Sullivan, 6, were reported missing on Friday morning at their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, about 20 kilometres southwest of New Glasgow.

Police maintain they are still actively searching for the children who they believe wandered off from their home. The RCMP say the search will continue overnight Sunday.

Daniel Martell has been in a relationship with the children’s mother for three years.

He said the last time he saw the children he and their mother were in their bedroom with their baby on Friday morning.

He said Lily came into the bedroom several times and he could hear Jack in the kitchen.

The children must have opened the sliding back door, which is almost silent, and left, he said.

“When we noticed that the children were gone, I immediately jumped in the vehicle, surveyed all the areas, [as] many dirt roads, [as] many culverts as I could and waited for the police to get there,” Martell said.

Jack was wearing a pull-up, he said, and Lily had a white backpack with red strawberries on it which should be highly visible.

Martell said he wishes the response by the authorities had been a lot faster and that more resources had been made available.

He is hoping that members of the public can help with the investigation. “If anybody out there has anything, come forward now,” he said.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Curtis MacKinnon said Sunday that 160 searchers were still doing their work despite challenging weather conditions.

MacKinnon said searchers located what could be a footprint on Saturday and expanded their search effort in that area.

The RCMP are not considering ending the active search, he said.

“They work on statistical data where how far individuals can go at this point in time and they’ll continue to do what they do,” he said.

“They’re very specialized, trained people here that have the knowledge they need in order to do the best they can.”

Earlier Sunday, RCMP Staff Sgt. Josh Wiese, who is leading the ground search and rescue operations, said around 50 searchers, several police dogs and eight drone units looked for the children through Saturday night.

He said the search effort doesn’t stop, with teams rotating in and out. Wiese said there were around 120 searchers Saturday.

“There’s no cellular service, which adds to all of the issues and the safety issues that we have for the searchers and everybody’s pulling for the one goal: they want to find these two little kids as fast as possible,” said Wiese.

He said members of the public can help with the search effort by checking sheds, culverts and ditches on their properties.

“That’s the thing to check, but we just don’t have the capacity to accept walk-up volunteers,” said Wiese. “This is a very managed search.”

The stepfather of two missing children in Nova Scotia has made a public appeal for help in the ongoing search and is urging authorities to intensify their efforts at potential exit points, including the New Brunswick border and nearby airports. The children, Lilly Sullivan, 6, and her brother Jack, 4, have been missing since the morning of May 2 from their rural home on Gairloch Road in Landsdowne Station, Pictou County.

Daniel Martell, who is the stepfather of both children, spoke publicly today about the ongoing anguish the family is enduring and his growing concern that the children may have been taken. “We’re still holding out hope,” Martell said. “But if someone took them, they could be long gone by now. We need to know that border crossings and airports are being monitored closely. Please, if anyone has seen anything — anything at all — we’re begging you to come forward.”

The statement reflects a shift in tone from earlier in the investigation, where the working assumption was that the children had wandered off. More than three weeks into the case, with no confirmed sightings and no physical evidence beyond a few personal items discovered early in the search, the possibility of an abduction is being more widely considered.

Law enforcement has not ruled out foul play, and the RCMP has acknowledged that the investigation remains “active and complex,” involving multiple agencies and ongoing behind-the-scenes efforts. Despite the scale-down of physical search crews in recent days, investigators continue to analyze data, conduct interviews, and explore all plausible scenarios.

Martell’s plea comes as community members continue to express frustration with the lack of updates and resolution. He described the morning of the disappearance again, saying, “We woke up, and they were just gone. Their boots were missing from by the door, the sliding glass was shut, and there was no sign of them.” He said they initially thought the children might have gone outside to play, but as time passed, panic set in. “They know not to go far. Something’s not right.”

Given the remote nature of the Sullivan home, which is surrounded by thick forest and set back from the main road, it’s unlikely the children would have encountered a stranger by chance — adding to the growing suspicion that they may have been deliberately taken. Martell’s suggestion to monitor interprovincial travel routes, including roads into New Brunswick and departures from airports in Halifax and Moncton, underlines the urgency the family feels about looking beyond the local area.

Former investigators have also voiced similar concerns. Retired homicide detective Steve Ryan said, “We have no eyewitness accounts of the kids leaving. That’s a red flag. No trail, no sightings, no indication they wandered off and got lost. At some point, we have to ask the harder questions.”

Over the last three weeks, search teams — including RCMP, search and rescue organizations, and hundreds of volunteers — have covered more than 50 square kilometers of rugged terrain. Early in the search, a child’s sock and a juice box believed to belong to the children were found near a logging trail, but since then, no additional evidence has surfaced.

Despite exhaustive efforts, including aerial surveillance, canine units, and underwater searches in nearby lakes and streams, the trail has gone cold. As a result, investigators have increasingly relied on other methods, including digital forensics, background interviews, and community surveillance footage.

Authorities have urged residents and business owners to review any video footage from May 2, particularly between the hours of 7 a.m. and noon, for any unusual activity or unidentified vehicles in the area. A white pickup truck seen in the vicinity during that window remains of interest but has not yet been tied to the case.

The RCMP has neither confirmed nor denied whether border alerts or airport surveillance have been escalated in response to Martell’s call. However, they have previously stated that they are in contact with national and interprovincial law enforcement partners and are treating the case with the seriousness it deserves.

Meanwhile, community support continues to pour in. Candlelight vigils, prayer circles, and online fundraising efforts reflect a population determined not to let the children be forgotten. Posters bearing Jack and Lilly’s photos are pinned to community bulletin boards, street signs, and shop windows across Nova Scotia and neighboring provinces.

The children’s biological grandmother, speaking earlier this week, also voiced her concern about the potential for abduction and echoed Martell’s appeal for more regional cooperation in the investigation. “These children didn’t just vanish. Someone knows something,” she said. “We can’t stop until we bring them home.”

Lilly is described as having red hair, freckles, and a quiet, thoughtful demeanor. She was last seen wearing jeans and a pink shirt. Jack has blond curly hair and blue eyes and was wearing a green hoodie with dark pants and rubber boots. Both are considered highly vulnerable due to their young age and the outdoor conditions at the time of their disappearance.

As the investigation continues, RCMP officials maintain that all leads are being pursued. A dedicated tip line remains open at 1-800-555-1122, and authorities emphasize that even the smallest detail could make a difference. Tips can be submitted anonymously.

The family’s message remains clear: until Jack and Lilly are found, the search must continue — and public vigilance is essential. For Daniel Martell, the uncertainty is unbearable. “If someone took them, they need to know that we will not stop looking. Someone out there knows something, and we’re pleading with them to do the right thing.”

The case continues to unfold, and while the trail has grown quiet, the determination to bring two young children home has not faded. The eyes of an entire community — and now a nation — remain on the roads, the skies, and the borderlines, waiting for a sign.