"PRAYERS ANSWERED"
Ellie Smith had earlier described her distress at waking at 6am to find the family's tent unzipped and her oldest daughter missing.
Her public pleas for help bringing Cleo home had prompted an outpouring of support from across Australia.
After the news broke, the usually quiet streets of Carnarvon, which boasts a population of about 4,500, were quickly filled with pink balloons and "welcome back" signs.
"There were tears in the eyes of many around town today. We are all so excited and happy, everyone just wanted Cleo back with her parents," Carnarvon resident Julee Nelson told AFP.
"It has been a very painful period ... everyone will be celebrating long and hard today. It's all quite beautiful."
Carnarvon Shire president Eddie Smith said the town, renowned for its banana plantations, had rallied together to help with the search.
"We are a strong little community and this has strengthened the bond amongst residents," he told AFP. "I couldn't be prouder."
State premier Mark McGowan expressed elation at receiving the news overnight.
He first received a call at 1.38am, but sheepishly admitted: "I didn't answer it, I was asleep." Still, within a few hours, he had received the "lovely" image of the girl smiling from a hospital bed.
"There will be movies made about this," he said. "You never know what to expect, you hope for the best, but you prepare for the worst."
"It's great to provide the country with positive news."
While police used human intelligence, surveillance footage and forensic analysis to find the girl, scores of volunteers scoured nearby bushland for clues.
Police last month had offered A$1 million (US$750,000) reward for information leading to Cleo's recovery after she was feared abducted from the remote Blowholes campsite - about 1,000km north of Perth - on Oct 16.
It is believed the abduction was unplanned and "opportunistic". The suspect was not on a local list of sex offenders and only became a person of interest a day ago.
Premier McGowan paid tribute to the family. "Ellie and Jack, Cleo's parents, they have been through a lot in the last 18 days, terrible trauma, some vicious attacks, and some, no doubt, very trying and sad times. To them, and all of our thoughts go to them."
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2021-11-02 22:27:00Z
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