Australian girl Cleo Smith, 4, found alive 18 days after being abducted from campsite
- Western Australia police said she was discovered alone in a locked house in the coastal town of Carnarvon, and a man has been detained for questioning
- Her disappearance prompted an extensive air, sea and ground search that drew widespread attention, with many sharing their joy after she was found
Cleo Smith disappeared from her family’s tent in remote Western Australia last month, sparking a frantic air, sea and ground search involving 100 officers and scores of volunteers.
Many feared the search would end in tragedy, but after a night raid on a home in the coastal town of Carnarvon – just a short drive from where she disappeared – police announced the little girl had been found alone, but alive.
“One of the guys jumped in front of me and picked her up,” said detective Cameron Blaine, one of the four rescuers who entered the house around 1am.
Blaine said that after the initial shock he asked the little girl her name three times before receiving her electrifying response: “My name is Cleo.”
Police admitted “seasoned detectives” were “openly crying with relief” at the discovery and when Cleo was reunited with her parents at a hospital a short time later.
