Australian police say they have “grave fears” for a four-year-old girl who went missing from a remote campsite four days ago.
Cleo Smith was last seen in her family’s tent about 1.30am local time on Saturday at the Blowholes Shacks campsite in Macleod, about 560 miles north of Perth in Western Australia.
She was missing in the morning when her mother woke up, police say. Her sleeping bag was also gone.
An extensive air, sea and land search is taking place for the girl, with police saying they would “leave no stone unturned” as they urged members of the public to come forward.
Homicide and major crime forensic investigators are assisting local authorities. Police have not ruled out that she may have been abducted.
“Every hour that goes by with a four-year-old out in this environment ... is very, very concerning,” said Western Australia police Inspector Jon Munday.
“That is why we do just hold grave fears.”
“We are continuing to focus on identifying any leads, we have our best investigators on this, we have the best searchers on this through our (State Emergency Services) and other volunteers,” he added.
Police released a picture to the public of Cleo’s sleeping bag and the sleepsuit she was wearing to help the search. She had travelled to the remote site with her family for a weekend camping trip.
The Quobba Blowhole site, in Macleod, is a local attraction on the state’s Coral Coast - known for its windswept ocean scenery, sea caves and lagoons.
