Authorities in Alberta said Sunday that Darius Macdougall, a six-year-old boy who went missing one week ago while on a walk with family members in the Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, has not been found.
During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney stated that the agency met with Macdougall’s family this morning to discuss “survivability,” given the nature of the “terrain, exposure to the elements, and the amount of time that this search has gone on,” since the boy disappeared.
“At the point we are at, the survivability is less than five per cent,” Slaney said, adding that specific search tactics are changing as efforts to locate Macdougall continue.
Adam Kennedy from Search and Rescue Alberta (SAR) said, “Given this unfortunate stage of the search, some tactics will be changed and ground search methods will be adjusted to reflect this.”
“Additionally, there will be changes to tactics for previously engaged assets, such as air assets using infrared technology.”
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Approximately 200 personnel were on the scene on Sunday, including around 100 SAR volunteers, as well as surface and underwater search assets, which were also present to re-search areas covered earlier, Kennedy said.
“Anytime decisions like this have to be made and that consideration is taken, there are multiple different factors that go into it,” Kennedy said.
Those factors, he added, include Darius’ health status when he went missing, the local terrain, the potential impact of weather and a major statistical analysis.
Rescue teams analyzed thousands of data points from of other search cases, particularly those with similarities to Macdougall’s, to determine his chances of survival.
Due to Macdougall’s reported autism, authorities also said they have fine-tuned their search to cater to neurodivergence, including not using loud noises inside the search area because they may scare him away.
Officials are also of the understanding that he is attracted to flashing lights and certain sounds, including his favourite song.
Slaney said the search for Macdougall is still underway and that experts will continue to evaluate how resources are allocated.
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