Miracle as 'Australia's Madeleine McCann' is found ALIVE inside a locked house in a remote town 18 days after four-year-old vanished from holiday campsite - and she tells officers who rescued her: 'My name is Cleo'
- Four-year-old Cleo Smith was found alive and well 18 days after she vanished
- Police found the girl in a room at a Carnarvon house early Wednesday morning
- Cleo has been reunited with her parents while a man is now in police custody
A missing four-year-old girl has been found alive 18 days after vanishing from her family's tent in a remote campsite in Western Australia.
Cleo Smith, who was dubbed 'Australia's Madeline McCann', was last seen in her family's tent at the vast campsite in Carnarvon, which lies north of Perth, at about 1.30am on October 16.
Her disappearance triggered a massive search throughout the region and saw police officers interview more than 110 people who were at the campsite on the night Cleo arrived with her family.
Today police smashed their way into a locked house in Carnarvon, 75km from where Cleo went missing, and found the little girl in one of the rooms at around 1am local time.
Western Australia Police Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch confirmed that Cleo was alive and well and had been reunited with her relieved parents.
He said: 'One of the officers picked her up into his arms and asked her 'what's your name?'
'She said: 'My name is Cleo'.'
Today, Cleo's elated mother, Ellie Smith, broke her silence by sharing a series of love heart emojis on Instagram.
A man from Carnarvon has been arrested at the house and has been taken into custody for questioning.
Cleo Smith has been found alive and well, 18 days after she vanished from her family's tent at the remote Blowholes campsite in Western Australia
Cleo's mum Ellie Smith broke her silence on Wednesday morning, sharing a series of love heart emojis on Instagram after her daughter was found alive and well
After the young girl was found alive Deputy Commissioner Blanch praised officers for their 'incredible' work and thanked the Western Australian community.
He said: 'This is the outcome we all hoped and prayed for. It's the outcome we've achieved because of some incredible police work.
'I want to thank Cleo's parents, the Western Australian community and the many volunteers.
'And of course, I want to thank my colleagues in the Western Australia Police Force.'
Police said they would provide more details on the rescue of Cleo later on Wednesday.
'For now - welcome home Cleo,' Deputy Commissioner Blanch concluded.
Today, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is currently in Scotland for the COP26 climate summit, said it was 'relieving news' that Cleo had been found well.
He tweeted: 'What wonderful, relieving news. Cleo Smith has been found and is home safe and sound. Our prayers answered.
'Thank you to the many police officers involved in finding Cleo and supporting her family.'
And Australian radio host Ben Fordham broke down live on air when informing listeners Cleo had been found.
Meanwhile neighbours in the street where Cleo was found described their shock to that sh may have been hidden there for up to 18 days.
One resident told the Australian broadcaster Sunrise: 'The other day, like, I think it was Monday, we saw him in the Woolworths buying nappies but we didn't click on who it was or what he was buying them for, who was buying for. Until now.'
They described the man who lived at the house as 'quiet' and wouldn't expect him to be involved.
Another neighbour told the Today show: 'S***, she's been that close.'
Cleo was found in her hometown of Carnarvon in Western Australia, 75km from where she went missing on October 16
Cleo has been reunited with her relieved parents
During their search for the missing four-year-old police interviewed more than 110 people who were at the Blowholes campsite on the night Cleo arrived with her family on October 16.
The little girl was last seen in her family's tent, at the vast campsite on Western Australia's northwest coast, at about 1.30am before his mother and stepfather realised she was missing five hours later.
Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde said the family had stayed near their tent all evening and hadn't socialised with other campers.
'I think it's more than likely an opportunistic-type event,' he told Perth radio 6PR on Tuesday hours before Cleo was found.
'We know they got there on the Friday night, it was getting dark, and there would have been limited opportunity for people to observe Cleo at that time.'
Police had stressed many times that the girl's mother, Ellie Smith, and her partner, Jake Gliddon, were not suspects, nor was Cleo's biological father.
Cleo's mum Ellie Smith (pictured during her daughter's disappearance) has been regular public appeals for her daughter to be found
Cleo Smith (pictured) has miraculously been found alive after vanishing from a remote campsite in Western Australia
Ms Smith had been posting daily public appeals on social media, pleading for Cleo to come home.
Police this week collected more than 50 cubic metres of rubbish from roadside bins stretching from Minilya to Geraldton.
It was transported to Perth, where forensic officers and recruits sorted through hundreds of bags in search of items that may have helped them find Cleo.
The State Government offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Cleo's location.
WA Police Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch confirmed just before 7am AEDT Wednesday that little Cleo is alive and well
Cleo was missing for 18 days before police found her alive and well in a Carnavon home
Police said the Cleo's disappearance was immediately treated with the highest priority, although it took two hours to establish a roadblock at the site.
Detectives made several visits to Cleo's family home in Carnarvon, sought CCTV footage from a range of businesses in the area and collected samples from a campfire at the Blowholes site.
Officers issued an extraordinary plea for dash cam and CCTV footage from within a 1000km radius of where the preschooler vanished and were seeking footage from motel check in, service stations, fast food outlets, truck stops, free camping areas, children's clothing stores, pharmacies and camping stores.
The selective list appeared to indicate that police were narrowing in on a suspect.
Cleo is now back in the arms of her mum Ellie and stepfather Jake (pictured together)
