Ground search crews depart N.S. community where children went missing

A day after Nova Scotia RCMP announced it was scaling back the search for two missing children, the force's command centre in a rural Pictou County community has been packed up and ground search crews have left the area.

Lily Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4, have been missing since May 2, when police received a 911 call reporting that they had wandered away from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, roughly 25 kilometres southwest of New Glasgow.

Police announced Wednesday that after six days of scouring the heavily wooded areas surrounding the home, there was no sign of the children and it's not likely they are alive.

Staff Sgt. Curtis MacKinnon told a news conference the active search was being "scaled back," but the missing persons investigation would continue. 

"So rather than having the large presence here, the massive number of searchers on scene every day, searches will be based on information that comes in," said MacKinnon.

"We're not packing up and we're not giving up. Our investigation is broad and it won't end until we know where Lily and Jack are and can bring them home."

On Thursday afternoon, all that remained at the RCMP's command centre were a tattered piece of yellow caution tape, a few portable washrooms and tire tracks.

In a statement Thursday, Cpl. Carlie McCann said the force did not have any more information to share about the case. 

While RCMP have said some areas that were already searched would be revisited as part of the scaled-back efforts, they would not say Thursday how many searchers or investigators remain involved in the case. A helicopter could be seen flying over the area during the day.

MacKinnon said investigators have not ruled out that the case is suspicious, and noted that RCMP's major crime unit has been involved in the investigation since May 3. 

He said all missing persons files "are treated as suspicious until our investigation leads us to determine otherwise."

Daniel Martell, the stepfather of the children, has said he believes Lily and Jack slipped out their sliding back door while he and the children's mother were in their bedroom with their one-year-old daughter.

In the days after the disappearance, Martell has remained at the home, receiving daily updates from search and rescue officials and speaking to the reporters who descended upon the county of roughly 43,000 people.

He has repeatedly said he believes the children were abducted, but RCMP have said there is no evidence of that.