'Exhaustion and optimism' as search for missing children enters 6th day

Aly Thomson · CBC News

· Posted: May 07, 2025 6:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: 21 minutes ago

Searchers who are scouring the woods adjacent wherever 2 children went missing successful northeastern Nova Scotia six days agone are feeling "exhaustion and optimism," an RCMP incidental commandant says.

As galore arsenic 140 searcher and rescue unit members person been progressive successful the hunt each time for six-year-old Lily Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan, who constabulary believe have wandered from their home connected Gairloch Road successful Lansdowne Station past Friday morning.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Josh Wiese, the incidental commander, said immoderate of the unit members person been determination since time one.

"They're tired and they're optimistic. They person 1 job. This is each hunt and rescue does is they effort and bring radical location safely," Wiese said connected Tuesday adjacent the hunt area, about 25 kilometres southwest of New Glasgow.

"They're trying to enactment connected mission. They're sacrificing their idiosyncratic lives. They're sacrificing a batch to beryllium present to effort and assistance this household retired to bring these 2 children home."

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Carlie McCann said crews were expected to proceed searching precocious Tuesday and into Wednesday greeting "with the tools and resources that are identified arsenic being necessary."

She said the lawsuit remains a missing persons investigation.

"Police are pursuing all investigative avenues and there's a assortment of teams progressive who are applying the tools and the skills and the expertise needed to find and and bring Lily and Jack home," said McCann connected Tuesday afternoon.

Drones took to the skies late Monday and into Tuesday in the agrarian assemblage in the province's northeast, utilizing "forward-looking infrared technology" to spot differences successful temperature, which tin constituent radical toward specific areas for crushed searches.

WATCH | Forward-looking infrared exertion explained: 

But McCann would not say if there's been immoderate motion of the children. She repeated that constabulary were pursuing up connected each accusation arsenic it comes in.

Police dogs person been assisting successful the search, and it's also the archetypal clip the Nova Scotia Guard — a provincially organized unpaid radical — has been deployed. The nationalist has been asked to enactment distant arsenic crews behaviour their work.

Daniel Martell, the stepfather of the children, has said the past clip helium saw the children was Friday greeting when he and their parent were successful their chamber with their one-year-old baby. 

The 33-year-old antheral said Lily came into the chamber respective times and helium could perceive Jack successful the kitchen. The children indispensable person opened the sliding backmost door, which is astir silent, and left, helium said.

The location borders a heavy wooded country with steep banks and heavy brush.

Martell said investigators with the RCMP's large crimes portion spoke with him a fewer days ago, and spoke with members of his household connected Monday. Martell has said helium believes constabulary should beryllium considering whether the children were abducted.

Police said connected Friday determination is nary grounds the children were abducted, truthful nary Amber Alert was issued. But the RCMP issued a susceptible missing persons alert for Antigonish, Colchester and Pictou counties precocious Saturday afternoon.

When asked connected Tuesday if the large crimes portion is involved, an RCMP spokesperson said a "variety of teams" are moving connected the missing persons investigation "in bid to supply tools, skills and resources arsenic necessary."

Martell said that aft the disappearance, the children's parent near the country to beryllium with her household successful different portion of the state and has blocked him connected societal media.

He said determination was an statement betwixt the 2 families retired successful the gait of the location that day.

"My mother had to footwear … immoderate radical disconnected the spot 'cause they were saying that I did it, I had thing to bash with it, and I'm the lone 1 present warring for them, which is sad," helium said.

The children's mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, spoke to CTV News connected Saturday, saying that she was trying to enactment hopeful. 

"I privation to clasp them and I privation them home," she told CTV.

WATCH | Lily and Jack Sullvan's stepfather makes plea to public: