The subtle message Cleo Smith's mother put on Facebook

The heartwarming final message Cleo Smith’s mother put on Facebook to let friends know her nightmare was over – as the family express their joy that the four-year-old was miraculously found

  • Cleo’s mum made a heartwarming tweak to Facebook plea when she was found
  • Ellie Smith updated her long-running Facebook status on Wednesday evening 
  • Mrs Smith’s post reads: ‘FINAL EDIT – HOME WITH HER FAMILY’ 
  • Cousin also posted to social media that Cleo and her family were all together 

Cleo Smith’s elated mother has made a poignant edit to her 18-day-old Facebook post which put out an appeal for her little girl’s disappearance, adding the final heartwarming message she was ‘home with her family’. 

The missing four-year-old was found at 12.45am on Wednesday alone in a bedroom in a locked and rundown house in the Carnarvon suburb of Brockman in Western Australia, after disappearing from her family’s tent during a camping trip.

Police had rammed down the door to find the little girl alive and well before Detective Sergeant Cameron Blaine, who was one of four officers to rescue the child, asked her three times to tell him her name.  

Ellie Smith was regularly pleading for help from her followers as well as updating them with key information during her family’s ordeal, updating a single post as the days ticked on.

On Wednesday evening she updated the message for the last time, adding in all caps: ‘FINAL EDIT- HOME WITH HER FAMILY’.

Cleo’s mother (pictured, together) subtly made a poignant edit to a long-running Facebook post when their nightmare ordeal was finally over

On Wednesday evening Cleo’s mum updated the message for the last time, adding in all caps: ‘FINAL EDIT- HOME WITH HER FAMILY’

Cleo Smith (pictured after being rescued by police) is ‘physically OK’ according to police as the four-year-old is released from hospital and taken back to her family

Ellie Smith and her partner Jake Giddon (pictured) had earlier made desperate attempts through the media for Cleo’s abductor to bring the four-year-old home

Ellie’s cousin also took to social media to celebrate the homecoming of the four-year-old after an 18-day ordeal that looked to be moving closer to tragedy.

‘Cleo is finally home!!’ Chelsea Smith posted to her Facebook account.

‘Words can’t describe the feeling to know she is safe & healthy & back where she belongs with her amazing mummy. Ellie finally has her princess back!’

The Smiths were inundated with ecstatic replies from friends and family who shared in the joy of seeing Cleo come home.

‘CLEO is back with her family… The whole of Australia were behind you guys in tears & devastation & now it’s thru tears & love that we wish you well for the future,’ one person commented.

‘The most beautiful news to wake up to this morning, thinking of you guys, it will only get better from here,’ another friend replied.

‘I have cried for you all today like this was my own child! I’m so glad she is safe now with her family, and the outcome is the one we all prayed for!’ a well-wisher said.

Ellie’s cousin (pictured) also took to social media to celebrate the homecoming of the four-year-old after an 18-day ordeal that looked to be moving closer to tragedy

WA Police released the first photo of Cleo after she was found at a home in Carnarvon on Wednesday morning, having been missing for 18 days – police say she is ‘physically OK’

The host of The Project said the photo of Cleo smiling from her hospital bed ‘broke’ her and admitted to crying when she heard the incredible news – before later breaking down again on the show

Earlier on Wednesday night’s The Project Carrie Bickmore burst into tears as the hosts discussed the incredible footage of Cleo being rescued by police officers. 

The host of The Project said the photo of Cleo smiling from her hospital bed ‘broke’ her and admitted to crying when she heard the incredible news.

‘That photo broke me today. It was a collective sigh of relief and a quiet sob this morning,’ Bickmore said. ‘She’s such a sweetheart.’ 

She was later lost for words, wiping tears away from her eyes as her co-hosts continued to talk about the incredible work WA Police did in finding the lost child. 

Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch said there were ‘tears from Commissioner Dawson all through WA Police’.

‘We always hoped this would be the outcome, in our hearts,’ he said.

‘We know our colleagues got more desperate and they made the breakthrough when they needed to.’ 

Police say the 36-year-old man in custody was not previously on the sex offender’s list despite locals saying he had an ‘unhealthy interest in children’ 

When asked if it was the best moment of his career, Detective Sergeant Cameron Blaine replied: ‘without a doubt’

Det Sgt. Blaine, the policeman who first found Cleo, said he asked for her name three separate times to confirm it was the missing girl.    

‘I just wanted to be absolutely sure that, it certainly looks like Cleo, I wanted to be sure it was her,’ he said.

‘I said, “what is your name?’ She didn’t answer, I asked three times 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. Not long after that, we got into the car and the officer I was with called Cleo’s parents and said ”we’ve got someone here that wants to speak to you”.

‘They were ecstatic.’  

Cleo cried out ‘mummy’ as she finally returned to her mother’s arms having not seen her family in an agonising 18 days. 

Mr Blaine described the little girl as an ‘energiser bunny’ and confirmed she was physically unharmed when she was found.

When asked if it was the best moment of his career, the sergeant replied: ‘without a doubt’.  

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