In a desperate bid to find a 6-year-old girl who has been missing for two weeks, the South African navy has been brought in to assist with the search. The case has attracted national attention, prompting the police to appeal for space and to refrain from recording the operation on cell phones.

Joslin Smith disappeared on February 19 in the Saldanha Bay area, located 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Cape Town. Despite extensive efforts by the police, firefighters, and specialized K-9 units, the young girl remains unaccounted for. Search teams have utilized drones to cover vast areas of land, while personnel from a South African navy base in Saldanha Bay have now joined the operation. Additionally, a team of top detectives from Cape Town has been dispatched to lead the investigation.

Members of the community have actively participated in the search for Joslin. Over the weekend, some individuals claimed to have discovered a knife and blood-stained clothing belonging to a girl, which they promptly handed over to the police. Authorities have sent these items, found during the search, to a laboratory for forensic analysis, though no further details have been provided.

As interest in the case surged following the discovery of the potential evidence, the police urged the public to refrain from recording the search efforts. Police spokesperson Brig. Novela Potelwa stressed that taking photos and videos of the officers at work could adversely impact the investigation. The police requested that members of the public maintain a distance from the search area.

The heart-wrenching photo of Joslin, displaying her beaming smile, vibrant green eyes, and neatly braided pigtails, has been widely circulated, eliciting empathy, anger, and fear that she may become another heartbreaking example of the high levels of crimes against children in South Africa.

Local government official Theresa le Roux expressed her belief that someone must have seen something, emphasizing that individuals do not simply vanish. With these sentiments in mind, Police Minister Bheki Cele held a meeting with Joslin's family over the weekend, urging calm within the community amid mounting anger and accusations. The young girl's mother, Kelly Smith, disclosed that she had asked her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, to look after Joslin while she was unwell and unable to attend school on the day she went missing. Unfortunately, Appollis lost track of the child, and she was already gone by the time her mother returned from work.

The Missing Children South Africa charity, which is assisting in the search for Joslin, revealed that police statistics indicate a child goes missing every five hours in the country. Disturbingly, approximately 25% of these missing children are killed, trafficked, or never found.

In a separate search effort, the police have launched an investigation into the disappearance of a 3-year-old boy in a different town near Cape Town on Sunday.

The search for Joslin Smith continues, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in ensuring the safe return of the missing child.