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Homicide detectives join search for Cleo Smith at Blowholes in Gascoyne

Phoebe PinThe West Australian
Missing girl Cleo Smith, 4.
Camera IconMissing girl Cleo Smith, 4. Credit: Facebook / Ellie Smith/Facebook / Ellie Smith

A team of detectives joined the desperate search for a missing four-year-old girl yesterday as police revealed they hold “grave concerns” for her and are “not ruling anything out” — including a possible abduction.

Cleo Smith vanished from her family’s tent early on Saturday morning during a camping trip at the Blowholes, about 70km north of Carnarvon.

Police say her parents had an “interaction” with their little girl about 1.30am but when they woke about 6am she was gone. Details of the interaction have not been revealed.

The search for Cleo Smith continues.
Camera IconThe search for Cleo Smith continues. Credit: Facebook/Supplied

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Insp. Jon Munday said the circumstances of the case were “extremely concerning” and that the State’s “best investigators”, including detectives from Perth, had arrived to join the search. According to Nine News, the detectives are from the homicide squad.

“We are gravely concerned for the safety of Cleo,” Insp. Munday said.

“At this point in time, we don’t have any answers as to where Cleo is.

“We are trying to cover all our bases and we are not ruling anything out.”

Insp. Munday said it had been “reported that there is a sleeping bag missing” but that he was “not at liberty at this point to divulge what else we believe might be missing”.

The search for Cleo continues.
Camera IconThe search for Cleo continues. Credit: Phoebe Pin/Geraldton Guardian

Asked about the “nightmare” scenario that Cleo had been abducted, he said “that’s the reason by going hard as early as we possibly can, and we are throwing as many different things at this as we possibly can.

“We’ve gathered a lot of information and a lot of intelligence from things like dash cams, CCTV cameras around the place, CCTV at roadhouses,” he said. “We are trying to paint a picture of who was around here during the window of opportunity between the early hours of Saturday morning and 6am ... as to who was around and what leads they can give us.”

Dozens of campers cut their stay at the Blowholes short yesterday, with police searching caravans and cars leaving the area and capturing their identities.

But Insp. Munday said police were loath to have “tunnel vision on one particular scenario”.

He said the possibility of Cleo wandering off from the tent on her own was also “very concerning” because of the “fairly harsh environment”.

“Everything is on the table, we are looking at everything, and hopefully ruling them out as we progress through the investigation,” he said.

SES crews scour the coastline.
Camera IconSES crews scour the coastline. Credit: Phoebe Pin/Geraldton Guardian

In a heartbreaking 1.45am Facebook update that yesterday had been shared more than 64,000 times, Cleo’s mum Ellie Smith said: “It’s been over 24 hours since I have last seen the sparkle in my little girl’s eyes! Please help me find her!”

On Saturday, Ms Smith described her daughter’s disappearance as “very unusual”.

“Please if you see anything unusual or suspicious call the police,” she said. “We are currently searching high and low with police, SES and locals.”

Cleo Smith with mum Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon.
Camera IconCleo Smith with mum Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon. Credit: Dominiques Visuals/Dominiques Visuals

It is understood the well-known local family are familiar with the area and often go there to camp.

Cleo’s disappearance sparked a major land, air and sea search, with dozens of State Emergency Service volunteers, aircraft, drones and volunteer marine search-and-rescue personnel scouring the area for signs of the little girl.

A search-and-rescue jet was also involved in the search on Saturday night, using equipment to detect “heat signatures”. Thick scrub separated the rough waters from the tent, which was taped off by police.

Cleo Smith was last seen about 1.30am Saturday morning but had vanished from the tent by 6am.
Camera IconCleo Smith was last seen about 1.30am Saturday morning but had vanished from the tent by 6am. Credit: Phoebe Pin/Geraldton Guardian

Insp. Munday said police were looking at anywhere up to about 5.2km from Cleo’s last known position, saying the large search area was “very, very formidable” for searchers to walk let alone for a four-year-old.

But he said the mild weather at the Blowholes was conducive for survival.

“We are fairly confident that if Cleo was around here, that we will find her,” he said.

Missing four-year-old Cleo.
Camera IconMissing four-year-old Cleo. Credit: facebook/supplied

Cleo was last seen wearing a pink-purple one-piece sleepsuit with a blue and yellow pattern.

Insp. Munday said he was “heartened” by the public response to the investigation and that information was flowing through from a “1000km radius” of Carnarvon. But police admitted that the family was “distraught” over the girl’s disappearance.

The area is a popular camping spot but can be dangerous for unsuspecting tourists.

A tourism page describes the Blowholes as having “powerful ocean swells” and “jets of water” thatcan sometimes erupt as high as 20m in the air.

Anyone with information should contact police immediately on 131 444.

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