RCMP have called off their search for six-year-old Darius Macdougall who went missing in the Crowsnest Pass on Sept. 21 while on a walk with familiy members.Darius was last seen on Sunday morning walking with his siblings near Island Lake Campground, about four kilometres south of Crowsnest Pass and roughly 250 kilometres south of Calgary.When the children returned to their campsite, Darius was no longer with them.RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney said officials believe Darius is no longer alive if he was in the search area.His family, who lives in the Fort Macleod and Lethbridge areas, immediately contacted police.Authorities say Darius has autism, which can make it difficult for him to respond to searchers.."Police and Search and Rescue Alberta (SAR) will no longer be on the scene," said Cpl. Stanley."The area has now been reopened to the public.""Moving forward, all information and tips will be carefully evaluated and thoroughly investigated.""Any information that may assist investigators can be provided to the Crowsnest RCMP or Crime Stoppers, please, trust that we are still here for the family of Darius," she added..RCMP Supt. Rick Jené said that what investigators must rely on tips because, "the challenging reality is, sometimes we need some help from luck, fate or higher power, depending what you believe.""And it may be a hunter, it may be a record person recreating, but we would really encourage someone who's been in the area and spoken to people who've done the searching."A few days ago, Darius' rate of survival was estimated at 5%, with the RCMP stating they chose to call off the search because they had worked with SAR in searching all high-probability areas. Currently, the RCMP do not believe there was any foul play involved.
