The tight-knit community of Lansdowne Station in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, is gripped with fear and heartbreak as search efforts continue for two young siblings who vanished from their rural home without a trace. Four-year-old Jack Sullivan and his six-year-old sister Lily Sullivan have been missing since the morning of Friday, May 2, prompting one of the largest search operations in the region in recent years.

According to their mother, Amanda Sullivan, the morning had started like any other. Around 10 a.m., she reported hearing the children playing quietly in another room of their home on Gairloch Road, a sparsely populated stretch of forested countryside. When she went to check on them moments later, she discovered the room empty and the back patio doors ajar.

What followed was a mother’s worst nightmare. A frantic search of the home and surrounding property turned up nothing. Amanda immediately contacted local authorities, who arrived on the scene within the hour. By that afternoon, RCMP had coordinated ground and air search efforts involving local police, volunteer firefighters, trained canine units, and helicopters. Drones and thermal imaging equipment have also been deployed to scan the dense woodlands and marshes that surround the area.

Despite extensive coverage of the heavily wooded terrain surrounding the Sullivan home, as of today—more than two weeks later—there has been no sign of Jack or Lily. No footprints, no clothing, no discarded items. The lack of physical evidence has only deepened the mystery and raised growing concerns.

“This is one of the most difficult and emotionally draining cases we’ve dealt with,” said RCMP Sergeant Colin Fraser, who is leading the search effort. “We are treating this as a missing persons case with all possibilities under consideration, including foul play. Our number one goal remains bringing these children home safely.”

Jack is described as a lively, curious child with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a red dinosaur t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Lily, who just celebrated her sixth birthday in April, is known for her love of animals and storytelling. She has long brown hair and was believed to be wearing a pink hoodie and jeans at the time of her disappearance.

Community members have rallied around the Sullivan family, volunteering in droves for daily search grids and meal deliveries. Dozens of neighbors have taken time off work to comb the forests, lakesides, and abandoned buildings that dot the landscape. At the Lansdowne community hall, a command center has been set up where volunteers gather each morning for briefings and assignments.

The emotional toll on Amanda Sullivan and the rest of the family has been immense. In a statement shared by family spokesperson and cousin Danielle Hayes, Amanda expressed both gratitude and heartbreak: “I can’t put into words what this has been like. Every minute feels like an hour. I miss their laughter, their footsteps, the little noises they make. I just want them home. Thank you to everyone who’s helping us. We see you. We feel your love.”

Vigils have been held every evening since the children went missing. At one gathering, children lit candles and placed drawings and stuffed animals near a tree decorated with pink and blue ribbons, representing Lily and Jack. “We are holding onto hope,” said local pastor Michael Dugan, who has led several of the vigils. “This community does not give up on its children.”

Social media has played a major role in amplifying the search. Photos of Jack and Lily have been shared thousands of times across Canada and beyond. Missing person posters have been translated into French and Mi’kmaq, and community members from across the province have made the journey to Lansdowne Station to help with the ground search.

While the search continues, RCMP have appealed to the public for any information—no matter how small—that might help locate the children. “We’re asking residents to check their outbuildings, cabins, hunting shacks, and trail cameras,” Sgt. Fraser emphasized. “Even something you think is insignificant could be the break we need.”

Investigators are also analyzing digital footprints, including security camera footage from nearby properties and roadways. A few local residents have reported seeing a dark-colored SUV in the area around the time the children disappeared, but no conclusive connection has been made. Police have not identified any suspects, and no evidence has yet suggested abduction. However, they are not ruling out any possibilities.

Child safety experts have noted the urgency of cases involving young children, especially in rural areas. “At that age, children are vulnerable to terrain, weather, and wildlife,” said Dr. Melinda Shire, a child psychologist and missing persons consultant. “But children are also remarkably resilient. There have been cases of kids surviving for days in the woods, even at Lily and Jack’s age.”

Local schools have also stepped in to support classmates and families affected by the disappearance. Teachers at West Pictou Consolidated School, where Lily is enrolled in Grade Primary, have created a space where students can draw messages or write letters to Lily and Jack. Counselors have been made available for students struggling with fear or sadness.

As time stretches on, so too does the ache of uncertainty. Still, the Sullivan case remains a beacon of hope and unity. Hundreds of people—many of them strangers—continue to search, pray, and hold out hope that somewhere, somehow, two small children are waiting to be found.

“We will not stop,” said Sgt. Fraser in a press conference this morning. “We owe it to Jack. We owe it to Lily. And we owe it to this family and this community that has given us everything they have.”

The RCMP urges anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, to contact their Pictou County detachment or Crime Stoppers. Anonymous tips are also being accepted. As of today, the search continues, bolstered by hope, community resolve, and the belief that Lily and Jack will come home.