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Fire and rescue service vehicles are parked on the premises of the Elm Volunteer Fire Department early in the morning. © Jonas Walzberg/dpa
It’s a race against time, but the many helpers don’t give up to find the missing Arian. The Bundeswehr is sending additional soldiers and the police are changing their search strategy.
Bremervörde – In the search for six-year-old Arian in Bremervörde in northern Lower Saxony, the emergency services are now increasingly searching for the missing boy in smaller groups. “We have set up new search corridors and are searching there, but not with long police or people chains, but in smaller groups,” said police spokesman Heiner van der Werp on Friday. The search is focused on an area northwest of Elm, the six-year-old’s hometown. The search there is also underway along the Oste River. Hundreds of police and fire departments are still searching for the child. The Bundeswehr sent additional soldiers to the area to search.
On Friday there were initially no further traces or information about the boy’s whereabouts. On Friday night, the police carried out several actions to attract the little boy’s attention. So-called sky beamers were used to throw cones of light onto the night sky. “The boy may react positively to something like that,” said the police spokesman. Children’s songs were also played over loudspeakers in the search area until early morning.
The Bundeswehr also supported the search for the boy again on Friday. According to the Territorial Command, helicopters were in the air and more than 300 soldiers were on the ground. A spokeswoman for the state command in Lower Saxony said another 150 soldiers from the Air Force’s Object Protection Regiment should arrive from Friesland on Friday and support the search. The troops had also taken part in the search in the previous days – for example with a Tornado aircraft that took aerial photos with a thermal imaging camera.
According to a fire department spokesman, sheds and garages in the area should also be opened and checked. Garbage cans should also be searched. Garbage collection for this Friday has been canceled. Manhole covers should also be opened.