A four-year-old girl missing from a campsite in Australia has been found safe and well after 18 days.
Cleo Smith disappeared from a tent she was sharing with her family at the Blowholes Campsite, near the town of Carnarvon more than two weeks ago.
Police in Western Australia have confirmed that Cleo was found in a locked house in the coastal town of Carnarvon and that a 36-year old man has been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch said: “It’s my privilege to announce that in the early hours of this morning, the Western Australia police force rescued Cleo Smith.”
“One of the officers picked her up into his arms and asked her, ‘What’s your name?’ “She said, ‘My name is Cleo.'”
Cleo’s mother, Ellie Smith wrote on social media that “Our family is whole again.”
The emotional return comes in a case that had captivated the Australian public, and Australian leaders have been expressing their joy about the positive outcome in the case.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Twitter described the news as “wonderful.”
“Our prayers answered. Thank you to the many police officers involved in finding Cleo and supporting her family,” he said.
