Bremervörde – The police speak of a serious situation, but still have hope for a happy ending: Hundreds of emergency services continue to search for six-year-old Arian from Bremervörde in northern Lower Saxony, who has been missing since Monday. “We still firmly believe that we can find Arian safely,” said Police Chief Michael Butt. The search has become a race against time.
Children’s songs are now also played during the search and so-called skybeamers are used. These are headlights that project a beam of light into the sky, the police said. They are supposed to help with the search on Friday night – the fourth night of the search.
Together with the children’s songs, the Skybeamers are intended to provide incentives for the missing boy to visit the places. The police ask passers-by to avoid these areas in order not to endanger the search efforts.
Divers search pools
Divers climbed into several pools. At first this did not bring any new insights. During the search, the helpers also hung up balloons and chocolate in the hope of finding the boy. According to the fire department, forces were combing the area along the Oste River in a northerly direction.
After completing this search on the Oste, the emergency services wanted to search the district where the boy lives again. According to a fire department spokesman, all sheds and garages should be opened and checked. Accordingly, garbage cans should also be searched. Garbage collection for this Friday has been canceled. Manhole covers should also be opened. The fire department wanted to provide information about the planned measures via loudspeakers.
Michael Butt from the Bremervörde police addressed the emergency services in the sports hall in Elm. There have been several examples in the past that the boy could still be found safe and sound, the police said in a statement.
Police say the situation is very serious
According to the information, Arian is autistic and does not respond to speech. The emergency services assumed that he would not report if he noticed people nearby. After several cold nights, the police spokesman spoke of a very serious situation. Police believe the boy left home on his own.
The Bundeswehr also supported the search. Around 250 soldiers have now arrived. According to the police, these are army forces from the municipality of Seedorf in Lower Saxony. During the search, helpers used drones, a helicopter and a Tornado plane that took aerial photos with a thermal imaging camera. Around 60 additional Air Force personnel were scheduled to arrive that evening.
Among other things, fireworks should bring traces to children
Several steps have already been taken to get a lead on the boy. For example, fireworks were set off on Thursday night because the boy liked it, as a police spokesman said.
At the request of the parents, the fire department hung balloons and candy in a wooded area adjacent to the boy’s family home. “They did it to the boy,” said a police spokesman. The helpers positioned wildlife cameras in the forest to discover the boy.
Even after days of operation, the search will continue unabated. The police emphasized that it was still too early to talk about ending the search operation. Due to the low temperatures and Arian’s comparatively light clothing – he was wearing a sweater but no jacket – the police described the situation as very serious.
Surveillance camera films boys
On Wednesday, the police announced that the boy was filmed by a private surveillance camera in his residential area on Monday around 7:15 p.m. “The recordings confirmed all of the family’s statements,” said the police spokesman. Accordingly, Arian was walking alone through the residential area where he lives. According to the police, this confirms the assumption that the boy disappeared alone.
Meanwhile, new details about the surveillance camera recordings became known: It could be seen that Arian was carrying a stick with him, which he waved around and played with on the street. Then he walked very quickly towards the forest, almost running, said the police spokesman. From the neighborhood where the six-year-old lives, a small dirt road leads past a rapeseed field to a forest. The police thought it was possible that the six-year-old went there.