Frantic search for missing four-year-old Cleo Smith from remote WA campsite

Homicide squad detectives and a tourism helicopter business have joined the search for a young girl who vanished from a campsite in Western Australia’s north amid fears she was abducted or fell victim to the harsh terrain.

Four-year-old Cleo Smith was staying in a tent with her family at the Blowholes Campground in Macleod, near Carnarvon, when she was reported missing on Saturday morning.

Police said Cleo’s family woke to find her gone about 6am, having last seen her inside the tent about 1.30am on Saturday.

Her mother Ellie Smith took to social media to urge anyone who might have seen her “sparkling” Cleo to call police, saying she was wearing a pink/purple one-piece sleep suit with a blue and yellow pattern before she vanished.

Police have not ruled out any theories about what may have happened to Cleo Smith, who was last seen about 1.30am on Saturday morning at the Blowholes Campground in Macleod, some 50km north of Carnarvon.

Her parents woke up about 6am the following morning and raised the alarm when they discovered she was not in the tent with them.

Inspector John Munday told reporters search efforts had continued throughout the night, including the use of an AMSA jet, while other patrols had resumed at first light including drones, helicopters and SES crews.

“We’re really throwing everything we can at this search in these initial stages,” he said on Sunday.

“We are gravely concerned for the safety of Cleo.

“We’re not leaving anything to chance. We’re trying to cover all our bases and we’re not ruling anything out — we’re going as hard as we can for as long as we can to try to find Cleo.”

Insp Munday said police were yet to make any breakthroughs in their investigation, but had been “really heartened” by the public help.

“There’s been information put up at various roadhouses and towns ... we are getting information back from that, which is fantastic but no, unfortunately we haven’t had any major breakthroughs,” he said.

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

Insp Munday agreed one of the possible theories was the “nightmare scenario” that Cleo was taken and said that was why police were going so hard with their search.

“We’ve gathered a lot of information and a lot of intelligence from things like dashcams (and) CCTV cameras,” he said.

“We’re just trying to paint a picture of who was around here during the window of opportunity ... and what leads that can give us.”

Police have also collected the contact details of people who were camping in the area.

The other possible theory was that Cleo wandered off and became lost.

Insp Munday said it was a “fairly harsh environment” but he was confident that if Cleo was in the area she would be found.

He said the girl’s family was very distraught.

“They are a local Carnarvon family. They know this area well,” Insp Munday said.

“They’re understandably devastated and just don’t know what to do.”

The senior officer also revealed a sleeping bag was missing from the family’s tent.

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

Her mother Ellie Smith posted photos on Facebook of her daughter, urging people to contact police if they had seen her.

“It’s been over 24 hours since I last seen the sparkle in my little girl’s eyes,” she wrote.

“Please help me find her. If you hear or see anything at all please call the police.”

Ms Smith described it as “very, very unusual” behaviour from her little girl.

“We are currently searching high and low with police, SES and locals,” the mother said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police immediately on 131 444.