Gus Lamont search: Police probe Yunta mine shafts in hunt for missing outback boy

Search for Missing Outback Boy

Nearly two months after four-year-old August "Gus" Lamont disappeared from his family's remote property in South Australia's outback, police have focused on searching six uncovered mine shafts in the Yunta region. These shafts are located between 5.5 and 12 kilometers from the Lamont family's Oak Park homestead, where Gus was last seen playing outside on September 27 while his grandmother cared for his younger brother indoors.

Police Search Details

Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR) officers and Task Force Horizon are conducting the operation, planned to last up to three days, using specialized equipment to find evidence or rule out the shafts as locations in the search. The police stated the search aims to either uncover evidence or eliminate the locations from further inquiry. Authorities emphasized there is no sign of foul play in Gus's disappearance.

Environment and Search Challenges

The search area comprises rough terrain with a history of mining, featuring many unfenced and undocumented shafts. Previous search efforts covered a large radius, including draining a dam containing 3.2 million liters of water near the homestead to exclude drowning as a possibility, but no trace was found. The only clue so far has been a single footprint located about 500 meters from where Gus was last seen.

Community and Police Perspectives

The case has deeply affected the small community of fewer than 100 residents, with family friends expressing profound grief and the police acknowledging the difficulty in identifying places where a small child might wander. The Major Crime Investigation Branch now oversees the case, adhering to standard procedures for such investigations. Police maintain the theory that Gus may have wandered off but warn about his unlikely survival without access to water, food, or shelter.

Description and Appeal

Gus is described as having long curly blond hair, wearing a blue long-sleeved Minions T-shirt, a grey sun hat, and boots at the time of his disappearance. Authorities remain committed to finding him and urge anyone with information to contact police.

“These searches will either locate evidence or eliminate these locations from further investigation,” said Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams.

“We miss him more than words can express,” said family friend Bill Harbison.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens noted the challenge: "There are lots of places a small child might find themselves which are hard to identify."

The search for Gus Lamont combines persistent community hope and meticulous police work in a rugged terrain, reflecting the complexity and emotional weight of missing person cases in vast outback regions.

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7NEWS Australia 7NEWS Australia — 2025-11-24

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