The stepfather of two young children who have been missing for four days in rural Nova Scotia, is pleading for help.

Daniel Martell has been in a relationship with the mother of six -year-old Lily Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan for three years.

The children wandered from a home on Gairlock Road around 10 a.m., Friday, according to RCMP, and Martell tells our newsroom, he is beside himself.

“Anyone with information, please come forward as fast as possible,” says Martell.

He adds, there is a dense forest and rough streams and he, himself searched 20 or 30 acres when they first went missing.

“I did all around the house in the four-wheeler, ATV. I did as much as a could on the first day and the second day,” says Martell.

The search has now expanded too far, he says, for him to be out.

Hitting hard

The Warden of The Municipality of Pictou says the tragedy has hit the community hard.

Robert Parker tells our newsroom it is the most upset he’s seen residents since the Westray Disaster.

“I’ve seen some of the most stoic people that I know, that normally don’t seem bothered by …or don’t show it anyway… about anything, but they’re certainly showing it,” says Parker.

“Our children are special, and they say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, the village in this case is certainly all of Pictou County and beyond.”

Parker adds, despite anxiety, there is still hope and nobody is giving up.

Alerts

Two vulnerable person’s alerts have been sent out to the public since the children went missing.

The first was on Friday, the other, on Saturday, was expanded to include Antigonish County, Colchester County, and Pictou County.

Lily Sullivan is described as having shoulder-length light brown hair with bangs. She might be wearing a pink sweater, pink pants, and pink boots.

Jack Sullivan is described as having short blondish hair. He’s wearing blue dinosaur boots.

No other clothing description is available.

The search

Authorities have maintained a consistent presence in the area since the children were reported missing.

Ground search and rescue (GSAR) teams, air services from CASARA, and the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) continue to scour the heavily wooded terrain with more than 100 who are dedicated to finding the pair.

At around 12:30 p.m., Monday, RCMP say in a post on X, efforts to look for the children continued through the night Sunday.

“Searchers are diligently keeping track of which specific sections of the ground have been covered and are applying their specialized skills to allow the searchers on scene to stay safe,” says RCMP.

The public is asked to avoid the area while the search is ongoing.

Acknowledgement from the premier

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston acknowledged the dedication of search teams and volunteers in a statement, emphasizing the urgency of finding Lily and Jack.

Houston highlighted the extensive resources involved, noting that the Nova Scotia Guard, in its first official assignment, quickly stepped up following the call to action to support the search.

Anyone with information about Lily and Jack’s whereabouts is urged to contact Pictou County District RCMP at 902-485-4333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Anonymous tips can be submitted online at Crime Stoppers or through the P3 Tips app.

-With files from Alex Allan