Searcher says no sign of missing N.S. children as renewed search enters second day
LANSDOWNE STATION — The head of the search-and-rescue team looking for signs of two young children who went missing in rural Nova Scotia a month ago says searchers have not found any new evidence as of this afternoon.
The search for four-year-old Jack Sullivan and his six-year-old sister Lilly Sullivan, who were reported missing from their home in Lansdowne Station on May 2, resumed this weekend for two days of targeted searching.
Amy Hansen, Colchester County ground search-and-rescue manager, says this weekend's renewed search is focused on the Gairloch Road area — near where the children lived — and along a nearby 'pipeline trail,' where a small boot print was previously found.
Hansen says the team of searchers are working hard to move through the rough and densely wooded terrain that's packed with thick brush and downed trees from post-tropical storm Fiona, which hit the region in 2022.
The search manager says the challenging terrain means grid searching is time consuming, and as of about 2 p.m. Sunday, searchers had not found any signs of the children.
The initial, large-scale search-and-rescue effort was scaled back May 7, and the search this weekend marks the second time ground search teams have been asked to return to focus on specific areas.
When the first search ended on May 7, RCMP said they did not expect to find the children alive in the surrounding woods. But they said searching would resume if they received fresh information.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025.
The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
5 minutes ago
- CTV News
Investigation underway into fatal single-vehicle collision in northwest Calgary
An investigation is underway into a fatal collision Monday afternoon in northwest Calgary. An investigation is underway into a fatal collision Monday afternoon in northwest Calgary. Just before 2:30 p.m., Calgary police issued a statement about a single vehicle traffic incident involving a motorcycle at Crowchild Trail and Stoney Trail N.W. Police said both eastbound and southbound Stoney Trail from Crowchild is 'currently blocked to all traffic, while the traffic unit investigates.' ALERT: Traffic incident on SB Stoney Tr at Crowchild Tr NW, the road is closed SB, please use alternate route. #yyctraffic #yycroads — YYC Transportation (@yyctransport) August 4, 2025 Significant delays are expected. Motorists are advised to avoid the area. At around 2:30 p.m., Calgary police posted on its X account that the westbound access from the southbound ramp off Crowchild is now open, but northbound remained closed. 🚧 ROAD CLOSURES - UPDATE 🚧 Westbound access from the Crowchild Trail off-ramp to Southbound Stoney Trail NW is now open. Stoney Trail NW at Crowchild Trail NW is now closed in both directions Please use alternative routes. — Calgary Police (@CalgaryPolice) August 4, 2025 No other information is available at this time. This is a developing story that will updated throughout the afternoon.
CBC
35 minutes ago
- CBC
Police urge caution following 38 deaths on Quebec roads during construction holiday
Quebec provincial police say most of the crashes involved just one vehicle. They say collisions are caused by the same problems every year — speeding, impaired driving and texting.
CBC
38 minutes ago
- CBC
Limited space, slow intake raise challenges for some Nisichawayasihk evacuees at Winnipeg congregate shelter
Charter flights and buses loaded with hundreds of evacuees forced out by wildfires burning near Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation are expected to arrive in Winnipeg on Monday, but some are expressing concerns over the conditions at the congregate shelter most are heading to. A mandatory evacuation order for residents at the Cree Nation, also known as Nelson House, came in during the weekend over poor air quality and fears wildfires would shut down the only access road to the community, located roughly 600 northwest of Winnipeg. Just over 1,500 residents — including all priority evacuees, among them children, elders and people with underlying health conditions — had left the community by Sunday, Councillor Kim Linklater told CBC News. With little to no hotel rooms available in Winnipeg, Nisichawayasihk is expecting most of its evacuees to stay at Manitoba's congregate shelter in the RBC Convention Centre. But some evacuees have reported long waits at the facility to register with the Red Cross, some contacting Linklater into the early hours of Monday morning, arguing they have not been able to secure a cot to sleep on. "They're getting very upset and they are tired," Linklater said. "I understand there's a shortage everywhere, but when you're expecting a community, everything should be prepared already beforehand." Lenora Spence and her 23-year-old son arrived at the convention centre in Winnipeg at around 12:40 a.m. on Monday after they were flown out from Nisichawayasihk with one suitcase. She said it took them hours to get a space at the congregate shelter and with hundreds of others crammed in the facility, it has been challenging to take care of her son with special medical needs. "I feel safe from the fire, but this ain't safe … for him," she said. For Spence, it was a priority to get her son out of the northern community as soon as possible because he is epileptic and with the wildfire smoke, he has been experiencing more seizures than before. But "it is very hard … [to] have a non-verbal child that's not able to be around a lot of people in the environment and sleep in a cot with no blanket." Some of those concerns are also worrying Nichole Wood-Hart, an evacuee from Nisichawayasihk who has been staying at the congregate shelter with her five daughters and son. "It's not safe for them to be in this place," she said. "It's not safe for them to run around … out here, even though they need fresh air." Space at the congregate shelter is limited, and the number of people staying inside rises day by day, Wood-Hart said. Access to the washroom is limited due to overcrowding, and Wood-Hart's family has been limited to staying in a small space with people walking around at all times. "It's hard because I'm always worrying," she said. "I'm crazy about protecting my daughters because it's dangerous out here." While she has asked for help to get supplies like milk for her newborn child, she said the support is limited and comes only after insisting on volunteers. "I just wish that they could help us better. This is not a place to keep so many kids all together." The Red Cross said in a statement that it's working with the province and Indigenous Services Canada to support evacuees. As of July 30, more than 28,000 people from over 11,000 households in Manitoba have registered with the organization. 2,000 still waiting to leave Nisichawayasihk Deputy Chief Marcel Moody said it is a "difficult time" for the community, they are trying to manage without enough hotel spaces to accommodate the residents who are already out, and the 2,000 in the waiting line to leave. "At the convention centre the building is cold, you don't have enough blankets, there's kids running around, crying and the intake process is slow," Moody said. But the Cree Nation is trying to address those issues in hopes of keeping the community together while it is evacuated. "There's some issues in Winnipeg with people going missing, drinking and potential sexual exploitation, we have to make sure our people are safe." At least three wildfires are burning close near Nisichawayasihk, Moody said. The closest one is roughly 10 kilometres north of the community, while another blaze is growing about 20 kilometres west of the Cree Nation. The latest data from Manitoba's wildfire services map shows at least two wildfires burning north of Nisichawayasihk, including one that has grown to over 46,000 hectares by Saturday. According to the province's latest fire bulletin, issued last week, the Manitoba Wildfire Service was responding to 127 active wildfires across the province, which has seen a total of 351 wildfires to date, well above the average for this time of year of 276. "The winds have been favourable," Moody said. But extended precipitation is still needed to help wildfire services put out the flames. "[We] hope for the best, the summer is going to be over in four weeks, maybe the first fire won't be out until we have snow," Moody said. "It is crazy."
