POLICE have made the heartbreaking decision to scale back the massive search for missing four-year-old August “Gus” Lamont.

Officers spent a week scouring the South Australian outback but failed to find any trace of him.

The operation - one of the largest in the state's history - has now been handed to the Missing Persons Investigation Section, shifting from a rescue mission to a long-term inquiry.

Assistant Police Commissioner Ian Parrott confirmed on Friday the grim turn, saying it was "unlikely Gus will be found alive" after days of freezing nights and harsh terrain.

“While we’ve all been hoping for a miracle, that miracle was not eventuated,” Commissioner Parrott said.

“We’re confident that we’ve done absolutely everything we can to locate Gus within the search area, but des

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