More than 100 search engines are touring an area in Pictou County for Lily Sullivan, 6 years old, and Jack Sullivan, 4 years old.
The brothers were last seen Friday morning at Gairloch Road at Lansdowne station, about 20 kilometers southwest of New Glasgow.
The search and rescue teams along with volunteers continued to look for children on Saturday. Two helicopters and a drone are also part of the search.
Police say that children are believed to move away from a house in the area.
The RCMP is asking people to stay away from the area while the search continues.
“It is a large wooded area with a lot of potential, so we are only maintaining all the open tracks and ensuring that we are covering the area with a very structured search,” said RCMP CPL. Sally Rice.
Most people looking for children on Saturday are search and rescue volunteers, Rice said.
Rice said that children have not been alone in a wooded area before.
“So, there will be many challenges for those children,” he said. “I would say that obviously any child would have challenges, especially in this field, right? It is defiant enough for our people we have in the field here.”
She said children can be afraid of adults. They may not understand the noise related to the search, like helicopters that fly on the head.
“They could have a problem with that and could be … in a position or fear of leaving, so it is also a concern.”
She said that people are asked to give search engines the space to do their job, but “obviously they expect people to review their courtyards, reviewing any property if they are in the area of their own personal properties.”
The search will continue until something happens “to change the address.”
“At this time, it is an active search and will continue until we have information to dictate otherwise,” he said.
‘Survival capacity remains good’
Amy Hansen is the search and rescue manager on the site and member of the Colchester Ground search and rescue team, one of the multiple agencies called to help with the search.
In an interview on Saturday afternoon, he said that his team is covering as many land as possible despite the difficult terrain.
“I can’t say enough for people here,” he said. “They are pushing everything we ask.”
She is still optimistic that children will be found.
“It was wet last night, but it was not very cold, so if they moved or bent up somewhere, which is what children tend to do,” he said. “Survival capacity is still good. Everyone still expects us to find them.”
There is no evidence that the children were kidnapped, so an amber alert was not issued, according to the police. But the RCMP issued an alert of vulnerable missing persons for Antigonish, Colchester and Pictou counties on Saturday afternoon.
Lily has light brown hair to her shoulders with bangs. RCMP said it could be using a pink sweater, pink pants and pink boots. Jack has short blond hair. He wore blue dinosaur boots.
In an X post on Saturday, New Scotland Prime Minister Tim Houston said that “the first to respond and volunteers are working tirelessly during this 24/7 operation.
