LANDOWN STATION, NOVA SCOTIA — Panic, heartbreak, and desperation have consumed a quiet rural community as the search for missing siblings Lily (6) and Jack Sullivan (4) enters its fifth agonizing day. What began as an ordinary morning on May 2, 2025, has become a nightmare that refuses to end — a mystery that now holds all of Nova Scotia captive.
A Morning That Changed Everything
At approximately 10 a.m., the children’s stepfather, Daniel Martell, says he and the children’s mother were tending to their 16-month-old baby when the house suddenly fell silent. Moments later, he discovered that Lily and Jack were gone.
The sliding glass door was open. Tiny footprints led toward the dense woods surrounding their home on Gearlock Road.
“They were just playing,” Martell told reporters, his voice cracking. “We thought they were safe. Now I don’t know where they are.”
The Search: A Race Against Time
Within hours, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) launched one of the most extensive search operations in recent memory. Over 150 volunteers, tracking dogs, drones, and helicopters have been deployed across the heavily forested terrain — a maze of swampy thickets, steep slopes, and fallen timber.
The operation has been grueling. Rain, fog, and freezing temperatures have hampered visibility and exhausted the teams.
“If we’re 20 meters apart, you can’t see two feet in front of you,” one searcher said. “Those woods can swallow people whole.”
Despite thousands of man-hours combing through the area, no trace of the children has been found.
A Community on Edge
As each day passes, the collective anxiety deepens. The community of Landown Station has rallied together, blanketing social media with flyers and organizing vigils. “It’s been five days,” said one volunteer tearfully. “At this point, every child in this town feels like ours.”
Local churches have opened their doors for families to pray. Businesses have paused operations to support the search teams. Even neighboring towns have sent food, blankets, and manpower.
“We’re not giving up,” said County Warden Robert Parker. “This isn’t just a search — this is a fight for two little lives.”
No Amber Alert — And Rising Questions
Curiously, no Amber Alert has been issued. RCMP officials say there is no evidence of abduction — but that explanation has left many uneasy.
Martell, however, fears something more sinister. “I want police to check the airports, the borders — everything,” he urged. “If this was just two kids lost in the woods, we would’ve found them by now.”
Investigators have not commented publicly on whether foul play is suspected, but sources confirm that Major Crimes detectives are now assisting with the case.
The Family Under Scrutiny
Adding to the complexity, multiple reports indicate that the children’s mother has left the area to stay with relatives, taking the youngest child with her. Police say she is cooperating, but the move has intensified speculation about family tensions and the circumstances leading up to the disappearance.
Martell, meanwhile, remains in Landown Station, coordinating with volunteers and pleading for information. “I’m still searching,” he said. “Still fighting. I can’t stop.”
Hope Fading — But Not Gone
As daylight fades on another exhausting day, the RCMP’s command post glows faintly against the darkening tree line. Maps litter folding tables. Search teams return mud-covered and silent. And yet, amid the exhaustion, a single fragile hope endures — that somewhere, deep in the forest, Lily and Jack are still alive.
“We’re praying for a miracle,” said one RCMP officer. “Until we know otherwise, that’s what we’re holding on to.”
A Plea for Information
Authorities are urging residents to check sheds, trails, and properties and to review dash-cam or doorbell footage from the morning of May 2.
If you have any information regarding Lily and Jack Sullivan, please contact the Pictou County District RCMP immediately.
The woods of Landown Station have never felt so silent — or so haunted.
Two small children are missing.
A community refuses to stop searching.
And somewhere between hope and heartbreak, the truth waits to be found.
“They didn’t just vanish,” one searcher said softly. “Someone knows. And until we find them — none of us will rest.”
breath, praying for a miracle as the search for these two vulnerable children intensifies.
