A renewed effort to locate Madeleine McCann, the British child who vanished during a family trip to Portugal on May 3, 2007, may have been prompted by a reliable insider tip, according to Grey Bull Rescue founder Bryan Stern.

Madeleine was abducted from the family’s ground-floor apartment in Praia da Luz, a coastal, southern Portuguese city, when she was 3 years old.

This week, Portuguese and German authorities launched a fresh search in Praia da Luz, which wrapped up on Thursday. So far, officials have not disclosed whether they uncovered any potentially significant findings related to the case of the missing child, as reported by Reuters.

Authorities look for evidence in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance. (James Manning/PA Images)

Stern works “all the time” with parents who have lost children, and he said talking to them is the hardest part of his job. 

“I’m not concerned about the bad elements, like the Russians or Hezbollah. My focus is entirely on the mother who is counting on me to reunite her with her child. That’s the real driving force and what truly worries me. … My greatest fear is having to tell a mother that I couldn’t succeed. After seven hundred and twenty-nine missions, we haven’t failed; after rescuing 7,128 people, we haven’t faced failure.”

The search June 5, 2025, was conducted at the request of the German federal police as they look for evidence that could implicate Christian Brueckner, who German prosecutors say is the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance. (James Manning/PA Images)

In the McCann case, however, Stern said not knowing absolutely that she is dead, because her remains have never been found, is “painful.”

Madeleine was born in May 2003 and would be turning 22 years old this year.

The Official Find Madeleine Campaign, run by Madeleine’s parents — Kate and Gerry McCann — did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital regarding the search.