Cleo Smith was found alive and well after being missing for 18 days. Photo / West Australian Police
Cleo Smith was found alive and well after being missing for 18 days. Photo / West Australian Police
West Australian police have released audio of the moment detectives rescued Cleo Smith and she uttered the now-famous words: "My name is Cleo."
Cleo was allegedly taken from the family tent while camping at Quobba Blowholes on October 16 and was rescued just before 1am on Wednesday when detectives stormedinto a Carnarvon house.
Cleo Smith after her rescue. Photo / Western Australian Police
In an audio clip released by the WA Police Force, an officer is heard twice saying: "We've got her."
Premier Mark McGowan visited Carnarvon on Thursday, holding two teddies — one for Cleo and the other for her younger sister Isla.
"Cleo was a delightful little girl, who was playing in the backyard and I gave her the two teddies, which we named," he told reporters.
"It was a lovely experience to meet her. She was, I thought, very well adjusted considering and the family were very appreciative of everything that has been done for them," he said.
"They're ... fundamentally decent, honest human beings ... they're really lovely people and it's great to meet them and acknowledge what they've been through.
"Obviously, there'll be a way to go from here but they're certainly on the right pathway."
Mr McGowan further described Cleo as a "very bright, upbeat, sweet little girl".
"She's just bubbly, playing, friendly, sweet," he said.
The man arrested over the alleged abduction of Cleo Smith.
The 36-year-old suspect, who is expected to be charged later today, has been released from hospital after being admitted twice for unspecified injuries.
The first image of the man arrested over the alleged abduction of Cleo Smith shows him heavily bandaged in the back of an ambulance.
Cleo was allegedly taken from the family tent while camping at Quobba Blowholes in Macleod, in Western Australia's north, on October 16.
The West Australian revealed the man was pulled over by police in a car and arrested near Carnarvon at about midnight, with officers then breaking into the home about 1am to rescue Cleo.
Officials said the man only became a suspect in the case on Tuesday.
Police have released minimal details about the man, who is believed to be a Carnarvon local, with Commissioner Dawson only revealing "there is no family connection" between him and Cleo's family.
Be careful what you tell her
Police in Western Australia have also revealed the advice they had to give Cleo Smith's parents after her incredible rescue early on Wednesday morning.
Detective Senior Sergeant Cameron Blaine told reporters on Thursday that police had to be careful what they said to Cleo, and had requested that her parents exercise the same caution.
"We've given them advice around that, and that must be incredibly hard for them, so we appreciate their assistance and cooperation with that," he said.
"As we've said all along, they couldn't have been more cooperative and more understanding of the police work that has gone on.
"It's not always the case that people understand that, you know, we want to see a successful prosecution at the end of the day for the people who are responsible.
"They have been absolutely fantastic the whole way through."
Discussing the intricacies of what occurred with Cleo would have the potential to jeopardise the accuracy of information she relays when she is interviewed by police.
"They understand where we are going with the investigation and what remains to be done," Senior Sergeant Blaine said.
"Our family liaison officer is going back out there now to speak to them and talk them through the next steps."
Cleo Smith has been found alive and well. Photo / Facebook
A reporter asked whether that meant the family was largely being "kept in the dark for the time being", not really knowing what happened.
"We share with them what information we can. They know what they need to know," Senior Sergeant Blaine said.
"Obviously it's still a time where we're exploring all the facts. We're getting information from, still, a number of different sources. Some of that information is completely wrong. So we're careful about what information we share with people, we want to make sure we're 100 per cent sure of the facts."
He also revealed that when officers arrived at the locked Carnarvon home and found her alone in a bedroom, she was playing with toys and the light was on.
Police had to refrain from discussing too many details, however.
"This is still a matter that needs to go before the courts, there's certain aspects of what we saw that is going ot be evidence, and I don't want to say anything that's going to prejudice that," he said.
A late-night lead
Fresh details have emerged of the critical moment police made the decision to break into a Western Australian home in the dead of night, which led to Cleo's discovery.
She had been missing for 18 days when investigators received a late-night lead, which led officers to a house in Carnarvon.
Investigators believed the 4-year-old may be inside, though Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said officers really had no idea what waited for them on the other side of the locked door.
"They really did not know what they were going to encounter," he said
"It was the hard work of the team that did it. Analysing all that information, gathering it and finding the needle in the haystack."
Officers acted within a "matter of hours" of the new lead, breaking into the home at 12.46am where they found Cleo alone, physically uninjured and playing with toys.
Deputy Commissioner Blanch announced Cleo had been found "alive and well" no Wednesday morning.
"A police team broke their way into a locked house in Carnarvon about 1am. They found little Cleo in one of the rooms," 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'."
