Cleo Smith’s mum Ellie has posted on social media for the first time since her daughter was found early on Wednesday morning. Posting to Instagram later that same morning, underneath a photo bearing the headline “Breaking: Cleo Smith found ‘alive and well’ after rescue”, Ellie wrote “Our family is whole again â¤ï¸” .
View this post on Instagram
Cleo was found in a Carnarvon home around 1 am WA time, alone in one of the rooms. A 36-year-old man from Carnarvon has been arrested and is being questioned by police. When police found Cleo, one officer took the little girl into his arms and asked her what her name was. “My name is Cleo,” she responded.
Police had been searching the state for the four-year-old for 18 days, since her disappearance from Blowholes campsite 50 minutes from her family home in Carnarvon.
In an agonising twist, Cleo was finally found just seven minutes away from her mum’s home during the three-week nightmare while her family along with police and thousands of Australians searched for any signs she was still alive.
Reactions across the country have been powerful. Western Australia’s top police officer broke down in tears when he heard the news, according to New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller. Speaking to 2GB Radio, Fuller said, “For a veteran in policing it just speaks volumes in terms of the amount of effort they put in to finding her.
“You wouldn’t see too many tears from commissioners these days.”
Meanwhile, acting commissioner Col Blanch said of the body camera footage of the moment officers found Cleo, “it’s burned into my memory for life.
“You cannot look at that and not just feel it in your heart. It was an unbelievable moment. I saw detectives who have worked for 18 days straight, 24/7, see little Cleo in a room, and just the look on their faces. Just the care that was expressed, the cuddling, the asking of her name.
“The little voice, she basically looked straight into the camera and said, ‘My name is Cleo’, I mean your heart breaks just hearing that because you know she’s been there for 18 days. The relief on those detectives’ faces to realise this has really happened.”
A neighbour said that there were many children living in the area where Cleo was found. He told Nine News Perth, “I am just happy she has been found alive. I think we all are.”
Image: Facebook
