The search for 6-year-old Darius MacDougall entered its third day today, as volunteers and emergency responders continue combing through dense brush and wetlands northeast of Edmonton. The young boy disappeared Tuesday afternoon while playing outside his family’s rural property near Morinville.
I spent the morning with search teams as they gathered at the command post before sunrise, their faces showing a mixture of determination and concern. The air was crisp with early autumn chill, but nobody seemed to notice as they collected their gear and assignment areas.
“Every minute counts in a situation like this,” RCMP Constable Nancy Williams told me as volunteers received their instructions. “We’re asking residents within a 10-kilometer radius to thoroughly check their properties, outbuildings, vehicles—anywhere a child might seek shelter.”
The search area has expanded significantly since Tuesday, now covering approximately 20 square kilometers of challenging terrain. Local farmers have temporarily halted harvest operations to join the effort, bringing valuable knowledge of the land’s hidden waterways and dense thickets.
Darius was last seen wearing a blue dinosaur t-shirt, gray sweatpants, and red rubber boots. His mother reported him missing around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when he failed to respond to calls for dinner. What makes the search particularly challenging is that Darius is non-verbal and may not respond to searchers calling his name.
Morinville resident James Thorkelson, who’s been volunteering since the first call went out, wiped sweat from his brow as he described the community response. “This is what Albertans do. When one of our little ones is in trouble, everyone shows up. I’ve seen people drive in from two hours away just to help look.”
The search effort has drawn remarkable community support. The Morinville Community Center has transformed into a donation hub, with local businesses providing meals, water, and supplies. St. Albert’s Search and Rescue team arrived Wednesday with specialized equipment, including thermal imaging cameras to assist with overnight searches.
“We’re utilizing every resource available,” explained Melissa Cunningham, the incident commander coordinating volunteer teams. “Aircraft with heat-detecting technology have been scanning the area, and we have dogs trained specifically for locating children.”
Local knowledge has proven invaluable. Retired farmer Douglas Henderson, 76, joined searchers yesterday after realizing the search zone included land he’d worked for decades. “There’s an old drainage system through that north section that doesn’t show on newer maps,” he told me. “I wanted to make sure they knew about those culverts—places a scared young one might crawl into.”
Weather conditions have cooperated so far, but forecasts show rain possibly moving in by tomorrow, adding urgency to today’s search efforts. Temperatures have remained mild, offering some reassurance that exposure risks remain manageable for now.
The MacDougall family has requested privacy during this difficult time, but released a statement through the RCMP expressing profound gratitude for the community’s response. “We are overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness and determination to help find our son,” the statement read. “Please keep looking, and keep Darius in your prayers.”
RCMP are asking anyone with information, surveillance footage, or dash cam video from the Morinville area since Tuesday afternoon to contact them immediately. They’ve also requested that well-meaning volunteers register properly at the command post rather than conducting independent searches, to ensure all ground is covered systematically and no evidence is inadvertently disturbed.
Community members unable to join physical search efforts have found other ways to help. Local schools have organized letter-writing campaigns for searchers, and several Edmonton restaurants have coordinated meal deliveries to the command post.
“The response shows the heart of this region,” said Morinville Mayor Simon Fletcher, who visited the search site this morning. “When tragedy threatens, differences disappear and we become one community with one purpose.”
As daylight begins to fade on this third day, the search continues with rotating teams working through the night. The quiet determination on volunteers’ faces tells the story—nobody is giving up hope of bringing young Darius safely home.
