If the full moon was sufficient light to search by ... why didn't the PJ organise official search teams to conduct searches?
On 4th May, after having evaluated the situation surrounding the disappearance, the Lagos Post Commander ordered searches for the child to take place and contacted officers who were at home, forming a force of nine officers who searched during the night and early morning.
2. At 02.00 they arrived at P da L and began searching with the Portimao sniffer dog teams, the terrain searches were extended until the morning with the dogs and officers on the scene, as well as the night guard and local people who volunteered to help in the searches that took place throughout the night.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GNR_SNIFFER.htm[Interesting snippet from Kate's book re; 4th May interviews;
Gerry told us afterwards that when he’d asked about deploying helicopters and heat-detecting equipment in the search, the police officer interviewing him had replied, ‘This is not the UK.’There were
no helicopters and no infra-red cameras, he was told.]
Eureka!
At 16.00 searches using the helicopter were initiated, the
helicopter was used for 90 minutes, covering the entire area from the coast line to the EN 125, between the limits of Atalaia and Ponta da Cama da Vaca, this being the limit of the area considered probable for the child to be found, according to the hypothesis that she had left the apartment where she was staying on foot.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GNR_SNIFFER.htmAfter a short rest I returned to work at 08.00. I did not see Kate or Gerry during the whole morning, but went to the new apartment at about lunchtime. Kate and Gerry were not there but there were other members of the group taking care of the twins.
I remember there were
helicopters flying overhead and showing them to the twins.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/EMMA-LOUISE.htm [re; 4th May]