The police officer who discovered Cleo Smith alive and well in the bedroom of a Carnarvon house has described the experience as "shock to start with, quickly followed by elation".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
"It could have been anyone that had been here, it just happened that I was one of four guys who walked through that door," officer Cameron said of finding the four-year-old after she had been missing for 18 days.
"To see her sitting there...it was just incredible."
West Australian Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said police could be in Carnarvon for up to a fortnight as they work through what happened to Cleo Smith.
They did not confirm rumours that there was another child in the house when officers arrived. Police also said there was no truth to a rumour that local children broke into the house.
Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde: "I can't go into that at that time."
The detective who called Cleo's parents told them "we've got someone here who wants to speak to you", the media conference heard.
Police described Cleo as "a little energiser bunny".
"She's a very sweet, energetic girl, very trusting and open with us. It was a really good experience."
When asked what Cleo's reaction to seeing her parents was, she said ""Mummmmyy" and hugs and kisses followed.
Mr Wilde said: "It was amazing. It really was. It was really emotional to see that - obviously we had hopes for that. We had real concerns for her welfare. And as time passed by, they grew worse, so to see that, it was amazing, and amazing outcome."
"...People were in tears... we kept working with that belief that we could get there, that we could find Cleo. I don't know what happened but we were lucky."
Mr Blanch assured the community that Carnarvon was still a safe place.
"The town of Carnarvon can stand strong. And, as a community, I appealed to the community to come together, as you have," Mr Blanch said.
"Yes, we have one man in custody but that is not the town of Carnarvon. That is one person. I want the town of Carnarvon in and everyone else to come together as a community, as we move forward, and we can rejoice that this little girl has been found, but we need to move forward as a community as well."
Big grin on her face
An image of Cleo Smith in hospital with an orange icy pole was released by Western Australian police hours earlier today.
The little four-year-old can be seen waving with a big grin on her face holding up the treat.
WA Police posted the image to Facebook saying it's the "miracle we all hoped for".
Cleo was found alive and well in a locked house 75 kilometres south from where she went missing.
Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch announced this morning "Cleo is alive and well".
A police team broke their way into a locked house in Carnarvon, a coastal town north of Perth in Western Australia, about 1am.
They found Cleo in a bedroom.
"One of the officers picked her up into his arms and asked her 'What's your name?'" Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch said.
"She said - 'My name is Cleo.'"
A 36-year-old man from Carnarvon is in custody and is being questioned in relation to the suspected abduction.
READ MORE: The search for Cleo Smith: a timeline
Police say he has no connection to Cleo's family and was not present at the house when Cleo was found.
The girl has been reunited with her mother Ellie Smith and Ms Smith's partner Jake Gliddon. She is receiving medical care but is said to be in good physical health.
"This is the outcome we all hoped and prayed for. It's the outcome we've achieved because of some incredible police work," Mr Blanch said.
He thanked the WA community, volunteers and officers involved in the search for Cleo.
"We'll have more to say on the rescue of Cleo as the day unfolds," Mr Blanch said.
"For now - welcome home Cleo."
Her mother, Ellie Smith, said this morning her family is whole again in an Instagram post alongside a photo of her daughter.
The girl vanished from a tent at the Blowholes campsite, about 950km north of Perth, after the family arrived on October 16.
She was last seen by her mother around 1.30am that night.
The search for Cleo captured national attention, including in NSW where the state's police commissioner on Wednesday recounted a call he had with WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson after Cleo was found.
"He said when he got the call this morning he broke down and cried," Mick Fuller told Sydney radio 2GB.
"It's such an amazing story."
Mr Fuller praised WA Police for their "good old fashioned police work", adding he had feared the chances of finding Cleo alive were slim.
WA investigators spoke to more than 110 people who were at the campsite when Cleo went missing.
They sifted through more than 1000 calls to Crime Stoppers and trawled through vast amounts of materials for forensic clues.
They had also been searching for the driver of a car seen leaving in the campsite in the middle of the night before it was discovered the child was missing.
WA Police had suspected she was abducted by an "opportunistic" offender.
Police will hold a press conference later on Wednesday.
The state government had offered a $1 million reward for information to find Cleo.
Daniela Cooper
Daniela has returned to her first love after a decade of working in local, state and federal governments, non-profits and the corporate world. She has a passion for injustice; to be a voice for those who don't have one; to hold power to account; and to bring readers the news without fear. She loves to explore new places and unfamiliar topics (both in her professional and private life) but her go-to loves are travel, health, social justice, foreign affairs and the outdoors. Email daniela.cooper@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Daniela has returned to her first love after a decade of working in local, state and federal governments, non-profits and the corporate world. She has a passion for injustice; to be a voice for those who don't have one; to hold power to account; and to bring readers the news without fear. She loves to explore new places and unfamiliar topics (both in her professional and private life) but her go-to loves are travel, health, social justice, foreign affairs and the outdoors. Email daniela.cooper@austcommunitymedia.com.au
