Search efforts are ongoing to locate a five-year-old boy who went missing near a playground in southern Alberta over the weekend. Darius Macdougall was last spotted walking with his family in the vicinity of Island Lake Provincial Recreation Area’s campground, south of Crowsnest Pass, according to RCMP.
Authorities have confirmed that the search operation will persist through the night. Peter Alfred from Search and Rescue Alberta mentioned that numerous volunteer search and rescue personnel, equipped with dogs, drones, and on-foot search teams from Alberta and British Columbia, are diligently scouring the area.
Macdougall disappeared after going for a walk with his siblings near their campsite, as per Alfred. The boy, who is autistic, is described as four feet tall with short brown hair, and was dressed in a blue-grey hoodie and sweatpants when he was last seen.
Despite the challenging situation, Alfred expressed optimism due to favorable weather conditions and Macdougall’s good health. RCMP emphasized the importance of not interfering with the search operations or contaminating the area, although they appreciated offers of assistance from the community.