The police and Bundeswehr have expanded their search for the missing Arian from Bremervörde-Elm in Lower Saxony. The largest search operation to date began on Sunday for the autistic boy who has been missing since Monday and is unlikely to respond to calls. Since the morning, around 800 helpers have been combing the area north of the missing person’s home. This is the biggest action so far since the search began almost a week ago. “I have never led such a large search effort before,” said Jörg Wesemann, head of operations for the Rotenburg police.
The emergency services formed a 1.5 kilometer wide human chain and now roamed the area from the north towards Elm. The focus is on an area where numerous traces have been found in the past few days, said a police spokeswoman. The aim is to “turn everything around again without any gaps”.
Search area expanded
The fire brigade, Bundeswehr and police involved are equipped with GPS trackers so that they stay at the same height despite the great distance. According to the police, the search operation that started in the morning is initially scheduled to last ten hours and will last until 7 p.m. In addition, boats, drones and search dogs are still on the move. The Technical Relief Agency (THW) and the fire department searched ditches and pipes in them. Around 1,200 troops were deployed, plus a cavalry squadron.
The search area, which was previously focused on the Elm area, was expanded on Sunday. A police spokesman said everything was being done to find the boy. Therefore, the search is now also underway in places that are somewhat further away. If Arian is still not found, the search will continue on Monday.
“The large number of forces” deployed on Sunday “shows that we still have hope,” said a spokeswoman. The police do not believe there has been a crime. There is no evidence of a criminal case, said a police spokesman. The spokesman ruled out a possible wolf attack, as there are wolves in the area.
Arian’s parents appealed for helpers
Before the weekend, Arian’s parents made an appeal to helpers on the police Facebook page, explaining how Arian could be helped. “We believe that Arian has set out on a great adventure,” it said. He could therefore have moved not only in Elm, but also in the surrounding communities and hidden there. They thanked everyone for helping with the search.
Arian left his parents’ house unnoticed on Monday evening. A surveillance camera recorded the boy running into a neighboring forest after his disappearance. The search for the six-year-old was also unsuccessful on Sunday night.
Police officers also volunteered for the operation, a spokesman said. There are also helpers from the German Life Saving Society, the German Red Cross and the Technical Relief Organization. A spokeswoman for the Lower Saxony state command of the Bundeswehr said on Saturday that around 400 property guards and logisticians took part in the search during the day. Around 60 soldiers with night vision devices are on duty at night.
The emergency services initially tried to attract the autistic boy with children’s songs, balloons and fireworks – without success. Since Saturday night, the search for the boy has been quiet again.