Boy, 6, Vanished Over a Week Ago While Walking with Family. Authorities Say His Chance of Survival Is Less Than 5%

A 6-year-old boy has been missing for over a week in the Canadian Rockies, and officials have warned that his chances of survival are extremely low.

During a Sunday, Sept. 28 press conference, Corporal Gina Slaney of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that officers had been in contact with the family of Darius Macdougall about modifying the search strategy, according to Global News, CBC News, and City News.

“With regards to the search, the survivability is less than 5%,” Slaney explained, noting that factors such as terrain, exposure to the elements, and the length of time since Darius went missing were influencing the rescue operation, as reported by CBC News.

While the search is not being reduced, she said teams are “approaching things differently.”

“We are still out there in full force searching,” Slaney said.

Authorities received a report of the missing boy on Sept. 21 at 11:33 a.m. local time. Police said Macdougall was last seen walking with six family members more than two miles south of Crowsnest Pass near Island Lake Campground.

He is described as 4 feet tall with short brown hair and was last seen wearing a blue-grey hoodie and sweatpants.

Officials initially stated that “Darius has a medical issue which may prevent him from responding to others,” and later confirmed that he has autism. Following his disappearance, a multi-agency search involving over 200 people, dogs, drones, infrared cameras, and teams on the ground and in the air was launched.

The RCMP also emphasized their close coordination with the family during this difficult time.

“We have Victim Family Liaison Officers providing direct support to family members. This is a specially trained unit that focuses on providing a trauma-based, victim-centered approach to managing those who have experienced a major trauma,” officials said. “This ensures a single point of contact between family and the RCMP, who are focusing on the needs of the family, doing their best to reduce re-traumatization by ensuring they have a voice and are included.”

Seven days into the extensive search, officials voiced their concerns. At the Sept. 28 press conference, Adam Kennedy from Search and Rescue Alberta described adjustments being made due to the low likelihood of survival.

“Given this unfortunate stage of the search, some tactics will be changed and ground search methods will be adjusted to reflect this,” he said, according to Global News. This includes a shift away from infrared technology, which may not detect heat signatures, in favor of using cameras to scan the terrain, City News reported.

Authorities explained that considerations such as Darius’s health, the weather, and the challenging terrain informed these changes, drawing on data from similar missing-person cases. While Darius is verbal, he may not respond to his name, so search teams have refrained from using loud noises. Instead, they’ve played his favorite song during the operation, according to CBC News.

Slaney added that foul play is not suspected at this time.

In an interview with CBC News, search-and-rescue expert Robert Koester noted that children with autism often go missing more frequently than expected.

“The major challenge with autism is in some cases they’re non-responsive, so if you shout their name, they can’t call back,” he said. “In other cases, you shout their name and they don’t want to call back because they may be afraid.”

Anyone with information about Darius’s whereabouts is asked to contact police at 403-562-2866. To submit an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477, online at www.P3Tips.com, or through the P3 Tips app.