The disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont from Oak Park Station on 27 September 2025 has been declared a major crime.
Major Crime Investigation Branch officer-in-charge Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke announced the move today while providing a significant update on the activities of Task Force Horizon conducted since Gus Lamont's disappearance.
Det. Supt. Fielke said the search for Gus had been the largest and most intensive undertaken by SA Police in connection with a missing person.
"Every police officer and civilian involved was invested in the search and had only one focus – to find Gus and return him to his parents,'' he said.
"Sadly, despite our efforts we have not yet been able to locate Gus.''
The search for Gus Lamont involved 163 SAPOL members, 230 non-SAPOL resources including SES, The Australian Defence Force, an Indigenous tracker and community volunteers.
The resources were deployed at Oak Park Station for over 20 days and there were eight separate ground searches that extended to a radius of 5.47km (95 sq/km) from the Oak Park Station homestead. The search area included three dams that were searched on two occasions – this has included draining the dams.
Police have also searched six mine shafts located within a 10km radius of the Oak Park Station homestead.
In addition to the ground searching, extensive aerial searching has been conducted of vast areas surrounding Oak Park Station.
Polair conducted initial searching, including using infrared FLIR, out to a distance of 12km from the homestead while a drone captured images of a 2.5km radius from the homestead, a 2km radius around the dams and two known travel routes for 8km and 6km from the homestead.
In addition, an aircraft fitted with highly specialised camera equipment captured images on two separate occasions –the first to a 10km radius from the homestead and the second to a 15km radius from the homestead. The total area covered amounts to 706 sq/km.
This imagery has been processed using specifically designed, specialised AI software programs and reviewed by Task Force Horizon investigators.
On 2 February 2026 Task Force Horizon officers searched several locations around Oak Park Station for the remains of Gus.
"Despite these extraordinary efforts, all of the combined searches have found no evidence, physical or otherwise, to suggest Gus has wandered off,'' Det. Supt. Fielke said.
Det. Supt. Fielke revealed that while the intensive search for Gus was being conducted two other investigations were being conducted concurrently by Task Force Horizon officers.
One of those investigations focused on Gus Lamont being abducted from Oak Park Station by an unknown person. The other was that someone known to him was involved in his disappearance and suspected death.
Task Force Horizon investigators have found no evidence to suggest Gus was abducted.
Task Force Horizon is now focusing the investigation on persons known to Gus as possibly being involved in his disappearance and suspected death.
Det. Supt. Fielke said as a result of recent investigations on 14 and 15 January 2026 detectives attended Oak Park Station and executed a search warrant.
A comprehensive forensic search of the homestead was conducted and detectives seized a number of items, including a vehicle, a motorcycle and electronic devices for forensic examination.
"I anticipate there will be further searches at Oak Park Station and at several sites on an adjacent national park to locate Gus as new information and intelligence comes to hand as the investigation continues,'' Det. Supt. Fielke said.
"The disappearance of any child is tragic and distressing not just for Gus' parents, but also the entire community sharing their grief.
"I can reassure the community that despite the complex and challenging nature of the investigation, Task Force Horizon will continue to thoroughly and meticulously investigate the disappearance of Gus until we get a resolution.
"We are all focussed and determined to locate Gus and return him to his parents.''
Anyone with any information on Gus Lamont's disappearance is urged to contact Crime stoppers 1800 333 000, or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
