The search for three-year-old William Tyrell is being expanded to three kilometres around the spot where he was last seen five days ago.
William vanished on Friday while playing in a Spider-Man suit on the balcony of his grandmother's home on the New South Wales mid-north coast.
State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers, police and members of the local community have been combing nearby bushland since his disappearance.
It is believed he wandered into thick bushland while playing at his grandmother's home at Kendall.
Police Superintendent Paul Fehon said investigators would be revisiting ground already covered in the search.
"Yesterday they covered and recovered over the 1.5-kilometre diameter area around where William was last seen and today we'll be expanding that thorough search out to three kilometres," he said.
"Our investigative teams have been bolstered. We have 30 investigators out there working.
"They will be conducting canvasses of the areas and they will be following up on any information that has been provided to us."
Family friend Nicole said the boy's family just wanted him back.
"The family [is] grateful that the police are looking at everything that will help to bring him back," she said.
"There's extra photos out there now of William and they just want people everywhere to see his face, to know what he looks like and to just say and tell the police anything that they might know or any slightest bit of information that they have if they've seen him."
When did he go missing?
William disappeared from the balcony of his grandmother's home in Benaroon Drive, Kendall, at 10:30am on September 12. Police said
he disappeared in a five-minute window while he played with his sister.
The house where William was last seen is directly across the road from the Kendall State Forest. Kendall is about 35 kilometres south of Port Macquarie.
What does he look like?
William has dark hair and hazel eyes. The three-year-old was last seen wearing a Spider-Man costume.
Who is searching and where have they searched?
Police, SES volunteers and members of the public have searched an area of more than 10 square kilometres, including bushland, dams and waterways.
How did he disappear?
Police are treating the investigation as a search for a missing child, but have not ruled out the possibility of abduction.
Superintendent Fehon said the search had not yet become a recovery operation despite the boy having a diminished chance of survival.
"Our search and rescue coordinators, they are advising us [that] with expert medical survival information, with water, with food, the chance of survival would be much greater," he said.
"We don't know but whilst ever there's a possibility if young William is out there and he does have some water we'll continue to search for him whilst that survival state is still there."
Police divers have already searched dams and waterways, and searchers on trail bikes and horses have spent hours scouring scrub near the house where he disappeared.
Up to 300 people have been taking part in the search.
Police have said they cannot rule out the possibility the boy was abducted, and the ABC has been told police are also speaking with all known sex offenders in the region.
Police strike force Rossann has now been set up to investigate the disappearance.
Superintendent Fehon said 30 police investigators were consulting with the state crime squad.
"We are appealing for anyone who saw any people or vehicles in the vicinity of Benaroon Drive or in the Kendall township on Friday to contact police," he said.
"The search to locate William and his survival is definitely our priority, but we have an open mind and we are broadening our investigation teams at present.
"We just ask if there's any members of the public at all that know of anyone that was in the Kendall area or was visiting the Kendall area last Friday before 11:00am, any information at all, if they could contact CrimeStoppers 1800 333 000.
"We are after any lead whatsoever to try and find where young William is."
William's family has urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact police.
"The family want to extend a heartfelt thankyou to all of the police, the SES, every volunteer, every community member that has come together over the last few days to help with the search," a family friend told reporters yesterday.
Reply With Quote