“WITH GREAT SADNESS WE ANNOUNCE THIS” — Police Share a Heartbreaking Update on the Missing 6-Year-Old Boy in Canada’s Rocky Mountains
An autistic six-year-old boy who has been missing for over a week in the Canadian Rockies has almost no chance at survival, officials warn.
Darius Macdougall, from Alberta, was last seen walking with his family near Island Lake Campground, two miles south of Crowsnest Pass on September 21.
He was reported missing around 11:30 a.m. that day, sparking a multi-agency search involving more than 200 people, dogs, drones, infrared cameras.
A frantic week of searching has so far returned no trace of the boy and his family have been told to prepare for the worst.
‘With regards to the search, the survivability is less than 5%,’ Corporal Gina Slaney of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said per CBC news.
She added that the statistic had been determined by examining the, ‘terrain, exposure to the elements, and the amount of time that this search has gone on’.
Conditions in the area where Macdougall vanished have hovered just above freezing overnight in the last week, with lows of around 39F.
The authorities are continuing their search, but revealed they are adjusting their methods.
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Darius Macdougall, from Alberta, was last seen on September 21 walking with his family members near Island Lake Campground, two miles south of Crowsnest Pass
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The boy, who has autism, has a ‘less than five per cent’ chance of survivability according to Corporal Gina Slaney of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
‘We are refocusing so some things will change, but this does not mean that we’re scaling back. We are still out there in full force searching,’ Slaney said.
Adam Kennedy, from Search and Rescue Alberta, told City News that his team would be switching from infrared to normal cameras, as they are no longer expecting to find heat signatures on the ground.
Macdougall is four feet tall with brown hair. He was last seen wearing a blue-grey hoodie and sweatpants, according to officials.
It was noted earlier by officials that, ‘Darius has a medical issue which may prevent him from responding to others.’
The boy’s condition renders traditional search methods impossible. Macdougall is afraid of loud noises, so instead of yelling for him, they play his favorite song, according to CBC.
The boy is verbal, but he may not respond to his name, the outlet said.
Search-and-rescue professional Robert Koester explained that children with autism go missing more than people would expect.
‘The major challenge with autism is that in some cases they’re non-responsive, so if you shout their name, they can’t call back,’ he said.
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He is four feet tall and has brown hair. He was last seen wearing a hoodie and sweatpants
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Temperatures overnight in the Rockies where Macdougall vanished have hovered above freezing in the last few days
‘In other cases, you shout their name, and they don’t want to call back because they may be afraid.’
Corporal Slaney stated that at this time, they do not suspect foul play to be involved.
Victim Family Liaison Officers are providing support to the family, ensuring a single point of contact with the RCMP, and working to reduce re-traumatization by including the family in efforts to find the child, according to the RCMP.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Search and Rescue Alberta for comment.
