Still no trace of Darius Macdougall as search continues for fifth day

The search for Darius Macdougall in the Crowsnest Pass area is now in its fifth day. Experts say the probability the child is alive remains high.

There’s still no sign of a missing boy who disappeared into the southern Alberta wilderness during a family camping trip, and no plans to deploy the military in an effort to find him, officials say.

Darius Macdougall — who RCMP had previously said was five but now say is six — disappeared on Sunday.

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Mounties say he and six family members left their campsite at the Island Lake Campground — about four kilometres south of Crowsnest Pass — to go for a walk.

When the group returned to the campsite, Macdougall wasn’t with them.

Speaking on Thursday, RCMP said Macdougall didn’t have a birthday in the time he had been missing, clarifying the error in his age was made “right from the very beginning.”

‘Pushing further out’

Professionals from multiple agencies are involved in the search for the six-year-old boy.

Adam Kennedy from the Search and Rescue Association of Alberta says at this time, the Canadian military has not been deployed.

He said ground crews have begun “pushing further out” to routes the child may have travelled on, while continuing to cover areas previously searched.

“The current average search radius is approximately four kilometres, with some of the trail searches extending out to approximately eight kilometres,” he said.

“Today, there are approximately 120 personnel on the scene from across Alberta and British Columbia continuing the ground search.”

New technology

Kennedy says they’re now using technology that allows for drone footage to be analyzed by software searching for anomalies the human eye may miss.

“What the software actually does is look for any anomalies — any movement or anything that looks out of place in the environment — and it will flag that for searchers to then follow up on.”

Kennedy says the software was a resource that was requested early on in the search, but adds it took some time to “requisition that request.”

Neurodivergent considerations

RCMP say Macdougall has autism, and while verbal, may not respond to rescuers calling out his name.

Instead, they’re using different strategies in an effort to locate him.

“The neurodivergence that was identified is being taken into consideration during the search operations,” Kennedy said.

“Some of the consideration being put in place is not using loud noises … As it may be startling. Another one is employing sounds that may be appealing to him.”

“There’s a particular song that appeals to him, and that’s been used extensively through the search,” Kennedy added, though he declined to share what song it was.

“One other consideration is not using bright lights during the nighttime searches as an attempt to not startle Darius.”

Kennedy says to his knowledge, the searches have found no trace of the missing boy.

Despite this, he says they’re still working on the assumption that he is alive.

No plans to scale back

RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney says there’s “no current plan” to scale back search efforts.

“I can tell you 100 per cent that has not been discussed. There is no current plan to scale back,” she said.

“We are going to do everything we can to find Darius.”

Slaney also clarified that at this point in the investigation, there’s no evidence to suggest foul play is involved.

“We’re still treating him as a missing child right now.”