The mother of two young children who vanished from their home three days ago has tearfully begged for them to be found.

Jack Sullivan, 4, and his sister Lily, 6, were last seen about 10am on Friday on a road close to their home in Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia.

Their parents believe the kids went out a sliding back door of the family’s home while stepfather Daniel Martell and mother Malehya Brooks-Murray fed their baby.

Brooks-Murray begged for their safe return in an emotional TV interview after searching the neighborhood for them.

‘I’m just staying as hopeful as possible,’ she told CTV News in an emotional interview. 

‘I want them home. I want to hold them, and I want them home. When they’re found it will be the biggest relief to hug them.’ 

Brooks-Murray explained that she and Martell thought the children were playing, and they sneaked away the short time the couple were occupied.

Four year-old Jack Sullivan has been missing from his Nova Scotia home since Friday

Jack vanished alongside his sister Lily, six. The children’s stepdad Daniel Martell fears they were abducted, although a Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson says they believe the youngsters wandered off. A nearby woodland is being searched

‘We always make sure that we’re out there with them, watching them, and they happen to just get out that sliding door, and we can’t hear it when it opens,’ she said.

‘They were outside playing, but we weren’t aware of it at the time, and the next thing we knew it was quiet.

‘We get up and look outside. We’re looking everywhere, yelling for them, and I instantly just called 911. I just had the instinct I needed to call.’

Brooks-Murray said her children may have mild autism but were friendly, contrary to rumors online claiming they were non-verbal.

‘They’re both really happy-go-lucky children. They’re so sweet. They talk to anyone. They’ll talk your ear off. They will speak to anyone in a store, everyone. They’re just extremely sweet kids,’ she said. 

The distraught mother questioned why an Amber Alert wasn’t issued, but police said there was no reason to believe they were abducted.

Martell told CBC News on Sunday that he was frightened the children were taken by a stranger.

Stepfather Daniel Martell and mother Malehya Brooks-Murray

Jack and his sister are believe to have gone out a sliding back door of the family’s home while their parents were feeding their baby

He pleaded with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to monitor the border with neighboring New Brunswick and nearby airports in case someone is trying to escape with them. 

RCMP Corporal Sally Rice told CTV News on Saturday that there ‘is no information to suggest [the siblings] were abducted’.

‘Based on what we know, it appears they wandered off,’ she added.

‘The search will continue until we receive any new evidence that changes our direction.’ 

A 3.5 kilometer (2.2 mile) radius has been set up around the nearby Pictou County Forest, with searchers focusing their efforts there.

Hauntingly, they’re tying ribbons to trees to note which areas have been searched.

A huge search operation including drones, a helicopter and around 160 emergency service personnel has been deployed to find Jack and Lily. 

The eerie disappearance has rocked the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, famed for beauty spots including Lunenberg (pictured)

A drone, a helicopter and around 160 emergency services personnel have been drafted in to look for the missing children

‘Ground search and rescue team members and officers who were on scene overnight have been relieved by new volunteers and officers from agencies involved to allow for refreshed searches to continue as necessary,’ RCMP said.

Jack is described as having short-ish blond hair. He was wearing blue dinosaur boots.

Lily has light brown, shoulder-length hair with bangs. She may be wearing a pink sweater, pink pants, pink boots and may be toting a white backpack.

Anyone with information on the missing children has been asked to contact Pictou County District RCMP or Crime Stoppers Canada.