In France, the army and gendarmerie have stopped their large-scale search for a two-year-old who has disappeared over the weekend. Prosecutor Rémy Avon announced on Thursday that the search teams would no longer be sent out. The search operation in the French foothills could not solve the riddle of why little Emil had disappeared. The boy was last seen on Saturday in the small hamlet of Haut-Vernet.
However, the investigation into the missing persons case is ongoing, Avon added. For this purpose, the “considerable amount of information and elements” collected during the four-day search would be analyzed.
On Tuesday, prosecutors warned that after a 48-hour period, given the child’s young age and the current intense heat of up to 35 degrees, the two-year-old’s life was “in very serious danger”.
Emil’s uncertain fate keeps the whole country in suspense. Dozens of soldiers and gendarmes were involved in the search, who used sniffer dogs and were supported by a helicopter. According to the authorities, 30 buildings, twelve vehicles and twelve hectares of land were searched. In addition, 25 people were interviewed.
The toddler had stayed with his grandparents. Neighbors last saw it alone in an alley in the hamlet near Digne-les-Bains on Saturday.