You can read Elias Visontay’s full story of Cleo Smith’s rescue here:
We’ll end our rolling coverage here. Thank you for your company today and please hug your kids tight.
What we know so far
Let’s just recap the main points of that press conference:
- Cleo Smith was rescued by four police officers just before 1am today.
- There was no one piece of information that led to her rescue, it came out of police analysing thousands of pieces of data.
- Police did not have time to warn Cleo’s parents, Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon, before raiding the house in Carnarvon this morning. The first they heard of it was when the family liaison officer called them once Cleo was out of the house and said, “there’s someone here who wants to speak to you”.
- Cleo was taken to hospital this morning for a medical examination but is physically well. Detective Sergeant Cameron Blaine, one of the officers on the four-person rescue team, said that after reuniting with her parents Cleo had become “a little Energiser bunny” with more energy than any of the exhausted detectives. She is a “very sweet, energetic girl”.
- A 36-year-old man was in custody at Carnarvon police station and helping police with their inquiries.
- The man was not a suspect before yesterday and had no connection to the family.
- He was not at the house when Cleo was rescued.
- Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde said police believed it was an “opportunistic” crime.
- Police expected to lay charges later today.
Updated
Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde says he expects charges to be laid today.
Updated
Police are asked a number of questions about comments made by neighbours to the media today, which they decline to answer because the investigation is ongoing.
They also will not comment on the condition of the house, for the same reason, and say they are still investigating the case.
Updated
Blaine is asked: “Is this the best moment of your career?”
He replies:
No doubt.
Updated
'We all wanted to take turns holding her'
Detective sergeant Cameron Blaine says Cleo was full of energy after being reunited with her parents.
He says he is not sure if she is aware that she had been abducted and police were careful what they asked her, so as not to influence her record of events.
We also need to be mindful of their mental health and welfare. The questions that, it was more or less that we were talking to her, that she was talking to us.
What can I say, having seen her a couple times this morning, she is a little Energiser bunny. How she has that much energy – I wish I did, I am about ready to go to sleep. Very sweet, energetic girl. Very trusting and very open with us. We all wanted to take turns holding her. It was a really good experience.
Updated
Detective Sergeant Cameron Blaine was one of the four police officers who raided the house in Carnarvon this morning and found Cleo.
He says he was shocked and elated to find her.
There could have been anyone of the team but it turned out that I was of four guys that was fortunate enough to go through that door and make that rescue. We had always hoped for that outcome but were not prepared for it. It was absolutely fantastic. Originally, to see her sitting there in the way that she was, it was incredible.
Blaine was the officer who asked Cleo for her name.
One of the guys jumped in front of me and picked her up and I just wanted to be absolutely sure that – it certainly looks like Cleo – I wanted to be sure it was her.
I said, ‘what is your name?’ She didn’t answer, I asked again and she didn’t answer. I asked a third time and then she looked at me and said, ‘my name is Cleo’. And that was it. Then we turned around and walked out of the house.
The victim liaison officer then called Cleo’s parents, telling them “there is someone here who wants to speak to you”.
You can imagine, absolute surprise and they were ecstatic. Things developed so quickly. We didn’t really have time to prepare them. And we didn’t want to give them any false expectations about what might happen. We didn’t know ourselves. It is always a delicate process when it comes to that.
But still to be able to give them that news and say they can make their way to the hospital and we will meet them there, that was fantastic. It was an honour to be able to witness that reunion. So many of the guys had been doing long days and long hours. We are only the pointy end here but we are backed by a massive taskforce. More than half back in Perth. It was certainly an honour to see that reunion and have a part in it.
Updated
Cleo was taken to hospital this morning but has since been discharged into her parents’ custody.
Wilde says there was no single piece of information that led to the discovery of the house, but says that the information about an unknown car at the campground was a crucial piece.
He says the man who is in custody was not a suspect before yesterday.
Asked how Cleo’s family are feeling, Wilde says:
Ecstatic, obviously, they have the little girl back.
Updated
Wilde says the alleged abduction “appears to be opportunistic”.
Updated
Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde, the lead investigator, says police had more than 10,000 calls from the community to provide information about the case.
People worked basically without sleep from the first occurrence when this happened 17, 18 days ago. They have been working here tirelessly, never gave up hope, and got the result that we are all so grateful for.
Asked how he felt when Cleo identified herself, Wilde says:
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, an amazing outcome.
He adds:
People were in tears, it is fair to say. It is an amazing outcome. We hoped, we kept working with that belief that we could get there, you could find Cleo. I don’t know what happened, but we were lucky.
Updated
Police have a 36-year-old man in custody but have not laid charges
The WA police commissioner, Chris Dawson, confirms police have a 36-year-old Carnarvon man in custody who is helping with their inquiries, but does not provide any further update.
I am not going to elaborate further in terms of that man, other than to say he is a local man from Carnarvon, and we will be having something further to say later.
I once again want to reinforce my thanks to a great team, assisted by a great community, the town of Carnarvon, and it can stand strong. And, as a community, I appeal to the community to come together, as you have. Yes, we have one man and a custody, but that is not the town of Carnarvon, that is one person. I want the town of Carnarvon 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.
Updated
Dawson thanks volunteers, army members and SES volunteers who helped with the investigation.
He also thanks members of the public for their support, which included deliveries of chocolate and flowers to the police station today, and he thanks the media.
You have kept the story running, kept in front of mind for everyone, which is important because we needed to get these messages out. I thank you for keeping the hope of finding Cleo alive a real and present story, which we now can all celebrate in terms of this.
Updated
Dawson thanks Cleo’s parents, Ellie and Jake, for their stoicism.
He also thanks the police team, which he says was about 140-people strong.
Many of them are still at work here right now, and a whole bunch of them are back in Perth. We will be working through this for the next week or two at least, there is much more work to be done, but I am just so proud, the proudest police commissioner in the world at the moment, right now, I think.
To everyone who has worked tirelessly, police, analysts, forensic officers, people behind the scenes, media teams. They have gelled together from day one here, from the moment Inspector Jon Munday and the uniformed officers declared a protected forensics scene within minutes of arrival, that commenced an enormous operation to the outcome that was achieved at about 1am this morning.
Updated
Dawson is joined by the WA police minister, local police commanders, local taskforce commanders, and one of the detectives who was directly involved in Cleo’s rescue.
He says:
We now have returned Cleo to her loving parents. It is a wonderful day for this little girl and her loving family. It is a really special day for Western Australia. Indeed, I know the nation is rejoicing over the fact that we have been able to conduct this operation and we never gave up hope. I know that Cleo’s parents never gave up hope, and it is just a such a wonderful opportunity for me to say, thank you.
The police minister, Paul Papalia, said:
If you feel the need to thank God today, thank God for the West Australian police force.
Updated
I just want to point out the 'found' sticker over the missing person poster outside Carnarvon police station. pic.twitter.com/2uFsrOyNkI
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 3, 2021
Police press conference begins in Carnarvon
The WA police commissioner, Chris Dawson, has begun speaking in Perth.
What a great day.
Updated
WA police have just released this image of Cleo Smith after her rescue this morning.
Police have just released a photo of little Cleo Smith, eating a zooper dooper in hospital this morning. pic.twitter.com/zrUwLsyoP1
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 3, 2021
We’re standing by to hear the press conference.
Updated
Police will be speaking about 1pm local time, so in the next 10 minutes.
We’re expecting to hear from WA police on the rescue of Cleo Smith in the next half hour.
Cleo was found in the locked room of a house in Carnarvon, a small town about 900km north of Perth, just before 1am local time.
Police were led to the house after finding what the acting police commissioner, Col Blanch, called “a needle in the haystack” of thousands of pieces of information collated over the past 18 days.
A police officer picked her up, asked “what is your name”, and she replied, “my name is Cleo”.
She was taken to hospital for a medical check but appears well and has been reunited with her parents.
The WA police commissioner, Chris Dawson, said it was one of the most impressive feats of policing in his decades on the force. He was flying to Carnarvon today to thank the 100-person strong team.
A 36-year-old man has been helping police with their inquiries.
Updated
Speaking in Dubai earlier, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said the disappearance of Cleo Smith was “every parent’s worst nightmare”.
The fact that that nightmare has come to an end, and our worst fears were not realised, is just a huge relief. And a moment for great joy. This particular case, obviously, has captured the hearts of Australians as we felt such terrible sorrow for the family.
I want to thank, particularly, all of the police and all of those who were involved in making sure that Cleo is safe. And we are so thankful, thank you so much for what you have done. I know you do it every day. I know that you feel a great sense of satisfaction in the work you have done to bring her home. But we know each and every day, they are out there doing the same thing. And trying to keep our kids safe and keep our people safe. So thank you so much. And thank God that Cleo is home and that she is safe.
Morrison was also asked about the AFP’s capabilities and the technology it used to help with the search.
I won’t go into details of this case specifically but I will go on to say that everything we had available to the AFP was there to be used and shared in with the work that was being [done] in Western Australia.
So I would congratulate the Western Australia [police]. They did a tremendous job there. Had this occurred in another state or territory, I know the exact same thing would have happened in terms of the capabilities that would be brought together. We are very pleased and very proud of those who did such a great job to bring Cleo home.
Updated
Earlier I reported some comments that the home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, made about Cleo’s rescue.
I wanted to clarify what she said about the involvement of the AFP reconnaissance planes.
Andrews said that the AFP supported WA police with “a wide range of advance technologies”, but did not specify what those technologies were or how they work.
She told Neil Breen on 4BC breakfast radio in Brisbane:
It’s very high-tech capability, and they were able to assist with the search for little Cleo. So I’m as happy as can be that we were able to provide support through the AFP and it ended up in a great result. But, of course, the great capability that the AFP has – which often goes unrecognised quite frankly – because they are very elite in terms of their capabilities; you know, they are right up there with the best in the world.
Breen:
Did it make a difference, do you think? Did it make a difference in this case?
Andrews:
Yes it did. I’m very confident of that. So congratulations to everyone involved. It was an extraordinary effort with a great outcome.
Andrews said she was “almost beside myself with excitement” when she read that Cleo had been found alive and well.
Updated
Press conference to be held at 1pm local time
Police will hold a press conference at 1pm today in Carnarvon about the rescue of Cleo Smith.
That’s 4pm on the east coast of Australia.
We’ll bring you the updates as they happen.
Updated
We will pause our rolling coverage of this case for now. We are expecting WA police to hold a press conference at some stage today and will bring that to you live.
We have been hearing a lot of jubilation from police officers and from Cleo Smith’s family this morning.
But if this story has been triggering for you in any way, there is help available.
The following crisis support services are available 24 hours a day:
Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636; 1800-RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Dawson said it was “very rare that this type of crime occurs, but equally rare that we get this kind of outcome”.
I don’t need to fiddle round too much with these words. Obviously we were very concerned. Yes we we hoped for this outcome but, you know, I’d be less than truthful if I said I wasn’t very concerned about the result. We were very concerned, for understandable reasons.
He said he had seen the photo of Cleo Smith smiling when back with her parents.
It’s just such a joyful reunion. I can say that she’s smiling and she’s well. She’s been through an ordeal, obviously, but she’s now back with her parents where she should be.
Dawson said police examined every piece of information but some pieces — like the discovery that a car was seen near the campsite — were particularly important.
We followed every lead we could. We had some important information. I can say that the information about a car was really important. At the same time we were collecting a lot of data, we were collecting every bit of physical evidence, and we were just not letting anything drop. We were just following everything through.
Late yesterday and in the early hours this morning we got a breakthrough and that breakthrough was the result of all of that work.
Dawson told 6PR’s Liam Bartlett that he was briefed on the plan to raid the house before it took place.
We’d been following some leads up and just after midnight I got a call to say, we’ve got a strong lead, and they briefed me on it and said we’re going to have to get into this house.
I’ve seen the — look I can’t release it here, Liam, but I’ve seen the video of it.... they had to break into the house, she was in there, and to see that vision and to watch it... it unashamedly brought a tear to my eye. It’s just so remarkable and I’m just so proud of the way that they worked their way through this.
The WA police commissioner, Chris Dawson, told Perth radio this morning outcomes like this was “one of the reasons I come to work every day”.
Cleo’s abduction strikes at the very heart of every parent, every Australian. Cleo’s parents Ellie and Jake, they didn’t give up, and the Carnarvon community didn’t give up. We had a lot of volunteers, companies, people, strangers, come together to give it everything they had... it’s just so wonderful that we were able to bring Cleo home.”
Updated
McGowan said it was a “remarkably brazen and shocking thing to do, to go to someone’s campsite, unzip their tent, and take the little girl”.
It is beyond belief that someone would do that. Like many people, I love going out in a tent and camping, particularly with my children, the idea that someone would come and steal your child away is beyond awful.
McGowan said he phoned the analysts who worked on the case.
Arlene, who leads the team, she told me it was great to provide the country with positive news this morning, rather than waking up this morning to, you know, something negative, it was great to wake up to some positive news.
McGowan said police sent 63 police officers to Carnarvon who have been working full time on the case for 18 days, alongside local police and community volunteers.
This is great new sand uplifting for the entire country. Especially for those people who put their heart and soul into finding little Cleo. I know they are proud and pleased of what has been achieved.
Updated
'He sent me a photo of little Cleo in a hospital bed'
McGowan said he missed a message from the police commissioner at 1.38am, because he was asleep.
But I woke up at about three and saw the message... He sent me a photo of little Cleo in a hospital bed sitting there smiling, so it was a wonderful piece of news. I don’t know what to expect in these things, you never know what to expect. You hope for the best but you prepare for the worst. It is an exciting day for all of us.
Updated
Mark McGowan: 'it's an amazing piece of police work'
WA premier Mark McGowan has started his press conference in Perth by acknowledging the work of WA police in searching for Cleo Smith, as well as the work of volunteers, including the SES, in searching for Cleo.
He also thanked the 10 information analysts who worked on the case, and the community of Carnarvon.
It’s an amazing piece of police work, an amazing piece of detective work. I think this will be looked at by police around the nation and indeed around the world as to what can be done if you have the right people and the right way of looking at it and you do it methodically, with determination, which is exactly what has occurred here.
Can I finally also acknowledge Ellie and Jack, Cleo’s parents, they have been through a lot of the last 18 days, terrible trauma, some vicious attack, and some, no doubt, very trying and sad times. To them, and all of our thoughts go to them. We’re so pleased that little Cleo has been back to them. There is an exciting, uplifting, wonderful day. I’m sure we are very proud.
Updated
While we’re celebrating the wonderful news of Cleo Smith being found alive and well, we should think of those families that are still desperately searching for their loved ones.
There are 61 missing people listed on the Crime Stoppers WA website. As of this morning only one of those listed, Cleo Smith, has been found.
Some have been missing for decades. The oldest listed case is from 1979.
The WA premier, Mark McGowan, is due to front reporters in Perth shortly.
He is making a health announcement but is also expected to speak about Cleo Smith.
Updated
WA police minister, Paul Papalia, told 6PR he received a call from Col Blanch early this morning.
I was quite stunned. Honestly, I think like everybody, you’d begun to fear the worst particularly the time that had passed. It was just incredible news, wonderful. I am very proud of the WA police service.
He thanked all the police involved, particularly the lead investigator Rod Wilde.
He said it was the result of “hard police grind, hard work and good policing”.
We should all in Western Australia be incredibly proud of our Western Australian police force.
Earlier, prime minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese expressed their relief Cleo had been found:
What wonderful, relieving news.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 2, 2021
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.
Such happy news. Cleo Smith has been found alive and well. To all those who tirelessly searched for this little girl, you deserve our thanks.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 2, 2021
Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek said Cleo’s family had been through “every parents’ worst nightmare”:
Cleo Smith is safely back in the arms of her parents. Wonderful news.
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) November 2, 2021
What this family has been through is every parents’ worst nightmare. To the WA Police, and the community who joined the search, thanks.
Welcome home Cleo.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd also congratulated WA police:
Congratulations to the WA police for their remarkable work in finding this beautiful little girl - and reuniting Cleo with her family. The whole nation breathes a little easier this morning. https://t.co/70VFVYwQUx
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) November 2, 2021
Updated
Legal circles around Australia are talking about Cleo Smith. This is from Kelly Fedor, the chief court reporter for Nine News in Sydney.
When I dial into court I can often hear lawyers chatting in the moments before the Judge enters... today it was all about Cleo. I'm fairly certain that's all anyone is talking about today. #courtlife
— Kelly Fedor (@KellyFedor) November 2, 2021
Updated
Forensic experts have expressed their shock and admiration that Cleo was able to be found alive.
Murdoch University forensic scientist Dr Paola Magni said finding child alive so quickly is a rare outcome:
We have, in the history of criminology, many cases about abduction and kids have been found 15 years later as adults. In this case, the two weeks is such a good outcome.
She said police would have used a mixture of traditional policing, digital evidence and profiling analysis.
Updated
The 36-year-old man who police have in custody has not, at this stage, been charged.
Updated
Col Blanch said there was no one particular lead or clue that led police to the house where Cleo was found.
It’s a collation of a lot of different things but what I can say is humans, good people, put information together. And that’s what I really want to put it down to.
There were lots of things, there were car movements, there were phone movements, there were antecedents of people, the jigsaw fit the puzzle but it took really good intelligence analysts and detectives and specialists to look at all of that information, put it together, and go, ‘You know what? that doesn’t seem right to me. I’ve been doing this a long time and we’re gonna act on it.’ That’s how we get results.
Police offered a $1m reward for information but Blanch says there was no key piece that broke open the investigation so that reward won’t be claimed.
Updated
Acting WA police commissioner Col Blanch criticised members of the public who speculated about circumstances of Cleo’s disappearance, including in some cases accusing family members of being responsible.
He told 6PR:
Certainly everyone involved at Blowholes [campground] had to go through a process of elimination. That causes internet detectives to jump to conclusions but our detectives, the real detectives, can’t afford to do that. We have to go through this investigation with professionalism and look at each and every piece of data on its merit, and we’ve done that. We’ve found the needle in the haystack.
And I think it sends a strong message to people, don’t jump to conclusions on these jobs. Let us do our work, let us do it professionally, but help where you can. Send the information in to us – don’t jump to your own conclusions on the internet. That does not help and it certainly wouldn’t have helped Ellie and Jake during this really tragic and difficult time.
Updated
WA premier Mark McGowan says he is beyond relieved Cleo has been found:
The nightmare is now finally over for Cleo and her family.
I’d like to thank the Western Australian community for all their assistance over the past few weeks, and acknowledge the WA police who did incredible police work to bring Cleo home to her parents.
Updated
Police have body camera footage of the moment Cleo Smith was found
The acting WA police commissioner, Col Blanch, is back on Perth radio:
Rescuing Cleo, hearing her voice, having her say ‘my name is Cleo’ was an amazing moment this morning, but we have transitioned into full investigative mode ... if we are going to hold someone accountable for this we’ve got to do it right and that is what the team is absolutely laser focused on now.
He says he has watched the body camera footage of the moment detectives found Cleo in a locked room, and becomes emotional trying to describe it:
It’s burned into my mind ... I saw detectives who have worked for 18 days straight, 24/7, see little Cleo in the room, and just the care that was expressed immediately, the cuddling, the sound of her voice ... she looks straight into camera to say, ‘My name is Cleo.’ Your heart warms just to hear it.
Asked how he has personally been affected by the case, Branch says:
Eighteen days looking at Cleo’s face. I haven’t slept, the commissioner hasn’t slept, I don’t think anyone in this police force has slept. We have held on to this hope from day one ... this is why we become police.
Updated
A group of young men who watched the rescue operation have spoken to Nine News.
They said they had seen detectives leaving the home and one of them was carrying a young girl:
One of the boys shouted and said, ‘Oh they’ve got a little girl there, it might be Cleo’ ... I ran there, stood up toward the detective’s window and I saw Cleo in the back. ‘Yeah, that’s her there!’
Updated
Chris Dawson said the community in Western Australia, and particularly in Carnarvon, deserved credit for helping with the investigation:
We did get some information about a car being seen and things like that. I can say we are thankful for the way the community came together, because this strikes at the very heart of every parent, of every Australian. You know, to have a young child abducted from, you know, an iconic location, camping with the family, it is really ... it touches everyone. No one is left untouched by this.
Asked to provide more detail about the man who was in custody, Dawson said:
There’s no family connection. I can simply confirm there is a 36-year-old man in custody.
Dawson said it was one of the greatest moments in WA policing history.
Oh, look, the find a little girl, a vulnerable little girl after 18 days, you know, obviously people think the worst, but importantly, hope was never lost. And the fact she’s been found alive ... I think Australia is rejoicing, you know, it is such a wonderful outcome.
Dawson said he would fly in to Carnarvon to thank the team who were searching for Cleo:
There will be a need for us to bring the community together because this brings to the surface a whole lot of emotional outcomes for the community. It’s really important we bring the community together and we don’t let the community split. It’s really important for the team to get their feedback and support the family and, obviously, it will be an absolute joy to be able to comfort the family and just be so, so pleased that the little girl, who was gone, is now back with them.
Updated
'No family member involved' in Cleo going missing, WA police say
The WA police commissioner, Chris Dawson, told the ABC that police have a 36-year-old man in custody. He said there was “no family connection”.
Dawson said police put “everything we had” into the search:
So obviously, our homicide squad, trained, experienced investigators and detectives, our analysts, our technical people, drone pilots, air wing, the whole lot.
We mounted our general duties police who did a tremendous job within minutes of arriving, the first officers in the scene, within minutes, declared it a forensic scene and sealed it off which was just really, really good policing. From that moment on, it’s just been a really dedicated team of well over 100 on the scene itself and we were prepared for a long haul but we’re so, so pleased.
Dawson said he always hoped for a good outcome, but was “very concerned”:
Having been around the block a bit, we obviously were very, very concerned so many days [had] passed. That does not mean you give up. You can’t for the family, can’t for the child. I’m so pleased the team kept going, they were not going to leave any stone unturned. They didn’t and it’s just a wonderful outcome as a consequence.
Updated
A woman who lives in the same street as the house where Cleo Smith was found told Nine News she had not heard the raid at 1am, and had been shocked to learn that the four-year-old has “been that close” all this time.
She said she was “very pleased” to hear of the rescue:
I actually got a call about 4.30am from my nephew who said, ‘Aunt, I just put the news on and she’s been found.’ I also got a call from my son who was on his way to Perth airport to go to work, and he said, ‘Mum, the kid’s been found.’ And I jumped out of bed and I’ve been awake since then.
She added:
The main thing is that she was found well and alive. Well done to the Western Australian police force.
Updated
Nine News Perth is reporting from outside the house where Cleo Smith was found.
It looks like an ordinary suburban house in the regional WA town.
JUST IN: The Carnarvon house where four-year-old Cleo Smith was found by police is only seven minutes away from the family home. @joshuadawe9 #9News pic.twitter.com/dGuzmUWeN7
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) November 2, 2021
Carnarvon has a population of fewer than 5,000 people. It’s a fruit and vegetable growing area, with large market gardens, but the township proper is pretty small.
Updated
Cleo Smith “physically she appears to be in good health but obviously medical professionals are with her at the moment”, Col Blanch said:
She’s getting the best of care right now.
Updated
Col Blanch said the taskforce looking for Cleo Smith included officers, intelligence analysts and specialists:
Everyone came together and did the hard slog for 18 days. We all wished it was earlier but we were literally looking for a needle in a haystack and those people, the officers involved in this, led by Det Supt Rod Wilde, [did] an amazing bit of work, absolutely amazing.
Updated
Cleo Smith was alone in the house when discovered by police
Police later identified a Carnarvon man who is in custody.
Col Blanch said the man wasn’t in the house at the time of the 1am raid but police had caught up with him later:
When the detectives went in and rescued Cleo, she was alone at the time.
Asked by 6PR host Gareth Parker if police were working on the theory Cleo had been abducted or kidnapped, Blanch said:
That’s been our working theory for some time now.
He said it was “very early days” in the investigation:
I don’t want to make any assumptions. I am very mindful that there is most likely a court process coming up, we have got to be very careful what we say.
Our job at the moment is making sure that Cleo is safe and well and getting the care she needs, that parents Ellie and Jake are getting the care they need, and we are doing a full and proper investigation in accordance with the law and we make sure we get everything – dot the i’s, cross the t’s, we’ve got to make sure we get this right.
Updated
'We were looking for a needle in a haystack and we found it,' acting WA police commissioner says
The acting WA police commissioner, Col Blanch, said he had seen “seasoned detectives openly crying with relief”.
Blanch told Perth radio 6PR that the result was “just incredible”:
To see Cleo being rescued this morning, I am speechless, to be honest. It’s just very rare ... it’s something we all hoped in our heart would come true.
Blanch said officers had combed thousands of images, surveillance files, interviews and community reports for any sign of where Cleo might be:
We were literally looking for a needle in the haystack and we found it.
When she said, ‘My name is Cleo,’ I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.
Pressed for more information on how officers found the house, Blanch said:
Literally this was a needle in a data haystack and our very very good officers and investigators and analysis in that taskforce found that needle late last night and as a result executed that search warrant ... just incredible.
Updated
Ellie Smith, Cleo’s mother, posted the news on Instagram, saying: “Our family is whole again.”
Updated
Carnarvon mayor says he never gave up hope Cleo Smith would be found
The mayor of Carnarvon, Eddie Smith, told Perth radio 6PR that his phone had started ringing at 4am, and hasn’t yet stopped:
I still haven’t absorbed it. I just feel so happy for Ellie and Jake that they’ve got Cleo back … I’m a bit emotional as well and I think the whole town is going to be emotional as well, that what we’ve hoped and prayed for has happened.
Smith said he had never countenanced any outcome other than Cleo being found alive and well:
I did [think they would find her] and most of our community remained positive, they didn’t change. We could see the effort that was going in to finding Cleo, the support, the power of positivity I think can’t be underestimated … it’s just wonderful.
He said the Carnarvon community felt “elated, thankful”:
I want to do a Bob Hawke and tell everybody to give everybody a day off, you’re a mug if you don’t.
It’s just so exciting and, to our police and to everybody who didn’t give up, thank you so much.
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Cleo disappeared from her family’s tent at the Blowholes campsite near Carnarvon on 16 October.
Her mother, Ellie Smith, said she last saw Cleo when she woke and asked for a drink of water about 1.30am. When Smith next woke up Cleo and her sleeping bag were gone and the zip of the tent was lifted almost to the top – much higher than Cleo could reach.
A 100-person police taskforce has been based out of Carnarvon for 18 days to search for clues.
They were supported by military-style reconnaissance planes, provided by the Australian federal police.
The federal home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, told 4BC radio in Brisbane this morning that those planes had played a key role in the search:
Yes it did. I am very confident of that so congratulations to everyone involved, it was an extraordinary effort with a great outcome.
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Missing four-year-old Western Australian girl Cleo Smith has been found in a house in Carnarvon.
Police raided the locked home in the coastal town, about 890km north of Perth, about 1am, and found a child inside.
The acting police commissioner, Col Blanch, said the girl had identified herself to a police officer who picked her up and asked for her name.
She said, “My name is Cleo.”
In a statement, Blanch said that it was 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.
I can confirm we have a man from Carnarvon in custody who is currently being questioned by detectives.
Blanch is expected to speak to local radio in Perth just after 6am local time.
We’ll bring you the updates as they unfold.
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