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A frantic search for two children presumed lost in the unforgiving and thickly forested lands of Nova Scotia has entered its fourth day as police in Atlantic Canada expand their search.
Nearly 150 searchers have braved rain and fog to track down Lily Sullivan, six, and Jack Sullivan, four, who were last seen on Friday around their home in Pictou county, 100 miles north-east of Halifax.
Their mother Malehya Brooks-Murray and stepfather, Daniel Martell, have told local media they were sleeping with their 16-month-old baby on Friday morning as the older children played in the house. But when they awoke later in the morning, the two children were gone.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police believe the pair, members of the Mi’kmaq First Nation community of Sipekne’katik, wandered off from their home and probably entered a heavily forested area.
Among the resources devoted to the effort have been dog teams with the heavy urban search and rescue team from Halifax, the region’s largest city, as well as thermal imaging cameras attached to drones. Police say their work has been “strategic and thorough” as they weigh any clues that might suggest a likely whereabouts for the children.
The search is also the first major undertaking by the Nova Scotia Guard, a newly formed a volunteer emergency organization meant to address shortfalls in the province’s response to crisis. In 2023, a flash flood killed four people, including three children – a tragedy that some residents believe could have been avoided by timely warnings sent by authorities.
Nova Scotia’s premier, Tim Houston, a resident of Pictou county, has visited the search headquarters alongside other local officials, to offer support for residents and searchers.
“People in Pictou County and across Nova Scotia are praying for a positive outcome for two missing children,” he said in a statement. “During this time of worry, please know that our first responders and volunteers are working tirelessly during this 24/7 operation.”
Foiled at times by inclement weather, more than a dozen search teams are in the field.
“Everybody in the community is concerned and worried, but we’re all hoping for the best here,” said Donald Parker, a municipal councillor with the municipality of Pictou county told CBC News. “It’s hard on the whole community … It’s incredibly tough.”
On social media, the Sipekne’katik chief, Michelle Glasgow, questioned the decision not to issue an Amber alert, used when a child is presumed abducted, and said the disappearance underscored the need for a national alerting system.
“Please help bring Jack and Lily home,” she wrote.
