Volunteers Renew Search Along Middle River for Missing Siblings Lilly and Jack Sullivan
Dozens of volunteers are preparing to conduct a renewed search effort in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, in hopes of finding new clues in the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan, who went missing more than six months ago.
The operation is being led by Bring Me Home, an Ontario-based nonprofit organization specializing in long-term missing persons investigations. Co-founder Nick Oldrieve confirmed that the upcoming effort will focus on the banks of the Middle River.
“I think that if those children wound up in the Middle River of Pictou, then there’s a high possibility we locate them on Saturday,” Oldrieve said. “We’re going to do the best we can to locate these kids.”
Lilly, 6, and Jack, 4, were reported missing on May 2 from their home in Lansdowne Station, a heavily wooded region. Family members said the siblings wandered away early that morning from the property.
In September, RCMP deployed two human remains detection dogs to examine a 40-kilometre area near the home. Despite extensive search operations throughout spring and summer, no trace of the children was found.
Oldrieve said approximately 40 local residents will take part in Saturday’s search, which will begin at dawn and continue until dusk, with the possibility of extending into Sunday. Due to shifting water levels in recent months, he believes certain areas need to be examined again.
“If they were underwater at the time of the initial searching along that river, they would have surfaced and they would’ve gone downriver a bit,” he said. “It’s not so much that it’s a tactic (previous searchers) haven’t used. It’s maybe a tactic that they haven’t revisited since that initial time.”
Pictou County councillor Donald Parker welcomed the renewed volunteer efforts.
“The RCMP have done everything they can here, and the search and rescue have done a tremendous job and they just couldn’t find them,” Parker said. “But if we can get other searchers coming in and whether they find them or not, I don’t know, but at least they’re trying.”
At a vigil marking Jack’s fifth birthday on Oct. 29, stepfather Daniel Martell said he no longer believes the children are in the nearby woods.
“I believe at this point in the case that they’re not in the woods and they didn’t wander into the woods,” he said. “Speculations run wild. But I’d like everybody to know that I’m working with (the RCMP’s) major crimes (unit) almost every day, just trying to figure stuff out.”
The organization Bring Me Home also shared a message from the children’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray.
“I will never stop searching for my children until they are found and brought home safe and sound. Someone, somewhere knows something so please bring my babies home.”
RCMP said they continue to analyze forensic evidence, more than 860 public tips, and thousands of video files as the investigation remains active.
Source: Global News
Des bénévoles concentrent leurs recherches sur la rivière Middle pour retrouver Lilly et Jack Sullivan
Des dizaines de bénévoles se mobiliseront ce week-end dans le comté de Pictou, en Nouvelle-Écosse, dans l’espoir de découvrir de nouveaux indices concernant la disparition de Lilly et Jack Sullivan, portés disparus depuis plus de six mois.
L’opération est dirigée par Bring Me Home, un organisme sans but lucratif basé en Ontario spécialisé dans les dossiers de disparitions à long terme. Le cofondateur Nick Oldrieve a confirmé que les recherches se concentreront sur les rives de la rivière Middle.
« I think that if those children wound up in the Middle River of Pictou, then there’s a high possibility we locate them on Saturday, » a déclaré Oldrieve. « We’re going to do the best we can to locate these kids. »
Lilly, 6 ans, et Jack, 4 ans, ont été signalés disparus le 2 mai après s’être vraisemblablement éloignés de leur maison à Lansdowne Station, une région très boisée. Leur famille a expliqué que les enfants auraient quitté la maison ce matin-là.
En septembre, la GRC a déployé deux chiens spécialisés dans la détection de restes humains pour fouiller une zone de 40 kilomètres près du domicile. Malgré de vastes recherches, aucune trace des enfants n’a été trouvée.
Oldrieve indique qu’environ 40 bénévoles locaux participeront aux recherches, prévues du lever au coucher du soleil samedi, avec une possibilité de poursuivre dimanche. Les changements récents du niveau de l’eau justifient la revisite de certains secteurs.
« If they were underwater at the time of the initial searching along that river, they would have surfaced and they would’ve gone downriver a bit, » a-t-il expliqué. « It’s not so much that it’s a tactic (previous searchers) haven’t used. It’s maybe a tactic that they haven’t revisited since that initial time. »
Le conseiller du comté de Pictou Donald Parker soutient cette nouvelle initiative.
« The RCMP have done everything they can here, and the search and rescue have done a tremendous job and they just couldn’t find them, » a-t-il affirmé. « But if we can get other searchers coming in and whether they find them or not, I don’t know, but at least they’re trying. »
Lors d’une veillée pour le cinquième anniversaire de Jack, le beau-père Daniel Martell a déclaré qu’il ne croit plus que les enfants se trouvent dans les bois autour de leur domicile.
« I believe at this point in the case that they’re not in the woods and they didn’t wander into the woods, » a-t-il dit. « Speculations run wild. But I’d like everybody to know that I’m working with (the RCMP’s) major crimes (unit) almost every day, just trying to figure stuff out. »
L’organisme Bring Me Home a également partagé un message de leur mère, Malehya Brooks-Murray.
« I will never stop searching for my children until they are found and brought home safe and sound. Someone, somewhere knows something so please bring my babies home. »
La GRC poursuit l’analyse des éléments médico-légaux, de plus de 860 renseignements et de milliers de fichiers vidéo dans le cadre de l’enquête en cours.
Source : Global News
