Family remembers Darius MacDougall one year after disappearance

One year after the disappearance of six-year-old Darius MacDougall, his family continues to search for answers and hold onto hope. On September 21, 2025, Darius vanished from a public camping area near the Alberta-British Columbia border in the Crowsnest Pass. Despite an extensive search effort involving drones, dogs, helicopters, and hundreds of searchers, including underwater divers, Darius remains missing.

Now, his family, including his grandparents Leslie Tallmadge and Tina Herron, return to the same camping spot each year, filled with love for Darius and determination to find him. They firmly believe he was kidnapped rather than lost in the mountains, expressing frustration that an Amber Alert was never issued. Herron insists that "every tip" received by the police should have been fully investigated, as "there's no way we missed anything" after 11 days of non-stop searching.

The Alberta RCMP has acknowledged the ongoing weight of the case on the family, emphasizing that they remain committed to pursuing any information that could help clarify Darius' disappearance. They have received more than 70 tips from the public, all thoroughly investigated, but none have led to finding Darius. The family urges anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing that even seemingly insignificant details could be crucial to the investigation.

A candlelight vigil is planned for Darius' family, aiming to increase awareness of the ongoing search efforts.