Alberta RCMP say the search for a six-year-old boy is ongoing, but police and search and rescue will no longer be actively working at the location where he was last seen.
The search for Darius Macdougall, 6, entered it 11th day Wednesday (Oct. 1) after he was last seen about a kilometre from the Island Lake Campground, which is about four kilometres south of Crowsnest Pass. The search area, which is along the B.C.-Alberta border, is in a remote area.
Darius was first reported missing on Sept. 21.
Search and Rescue Alberta provincial training manager Adam Kennedy said that if Darius is still somewhere within the search site, "it is our belief that he is no longer alive." Searchers had consulted with two wilderness survivability physicians.
Alberta RCMP Supt. Rick Jané said that at this stage it would be "very, very remarkable" for a person of any age to still be alive this long.
"There's some areas of very good camping, but it doesn't take far to get into the bush, where you're into quite a bit of wilderness and an adult can get turned around. And this is not to blame Darius or anyone else. This was a tragedy."
Jané said he's had time to speak with Search and Rescue Alberta and the Alberta RCMP incident commander about the latest on the search efforts.
"He is most likely still (within the search area), but no longer alive and therefore not able to call out," Jané said.
Cpl. Gina Slaney said Wednesday that "at this point there is zero indication" that foul play is involved in the disappearance of Darius.
"We've just exhausted all search tactics. There's just nothing else for us to search at this time."
Slaney said that as of Wednesday search crews have "completed a comprehensive and thorough search of the 22 square kilometres surrounding the area where Darius was last seen," but there has been no evidence or signs of him.
Kennedy said search-and-rescue volunteers and partner agencies mounted a "determined search in a difficult mountain terrain."
"Searchers have been battling high slopes, multiple waterways and thick vegetation during this search."
He added more than 400 volunteers from 50 search-and-rescue teams across B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan answered the call to search for Darius, contributing to 11,000 hours of on-the-ground searching.
Alberta RCMP and Search and Rescue Alberta left the area around 1 p.m. Wednesday and the area was reopened to the public.
Slaney emphasized the investigation into Darius going missing is not over, and police will now continue the investigation through information and tips from the public.
She said if there are tips that could lead to information on Darius' whereabouts, then crews would "absolutely redeploy."
