As the search for a missing five-year-old girl and her suspected abductor intensifies in the Australian outback, authorities remain hopeful that the child is still alive. This urgent operation, now in its fourth day, has drawn significant resources and attention.

On Tuesday, an extensive team of searchers combed through the challenging landscapes surrounding Alice Springs, focused on locating Sharon Granites and the man believed to have taken her, Jefferson Lewis. According to police, the 47-year-old Lewis is suspected of enticing Sharon away from her home in the Old Timers town camp on Sunday, possibly under the influence of alcohol, after witnesses reported seeing him holding the young girl’s hand.

While Lewis is not a blood relative of Sharon, he had been residing at her family’s home at the time of her disappearance, as stated by the police. Notably, his presence at the home came just six days after his release from prison.

Efforts to bring Sharon safely home will escalate at dawn on Wednesday. The strategy includes deploying mounted police, conducting aerial searches with helicopters, and utilizing thermal imaging drones to scan the area from above. This multi-faceted approach underscores the determination to find Sharon and ensure her safe return.

He had been released from prison just six days earlier.

At first light on Wednesday, police planned to relaunch a search that would include mounted police horses, helicopter aerial searches and thermal imaging drones.

Community ‘holding its breath’

The isolated community, which has been urged to come forward with any information, has thrown their support behind Sharon’s family, with over 130 people involved in Tuesday’s search.

Local businesses donated food to help those searching.

Alice Springs Mayor Asta Hill told AAP that a town council meeting on Tuesday night was opened with a prayer for Sharon and her safe return.

“There is intense worry reverberating through the whole community, it’s as though the whole community is holding its breath,” she said.

On Wednesday, the South Sudanese community sent a message to its members, calling on them to join the search.

“[We] would like to … invite all members of you are free tomorrow from 9am to join the police in search for the five-years-old little girl that missing from Sunday night,” the statement read.

“Thank you for your support at this hard time we pray for the safety of the little angel that is missing and hope that she will be reunited with her family and loved ones soon thank you.”

No sightings of Sharon or Lewis have been confirmed but police did not rule out the pair being within an established 20 square kilometre search zone, telling media on Tuesday they believed the girl was still alive.

Northern Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said the suspected abduction was “every parent’s worst nightmare”.

“To her family — our thoughts are with you,” she said in a post on Facebook on Monday.

“To the community— this is the moment to step up. Someone knows something.

“Let’s help bring her home.”

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