Today was a momentous day as Cleo Smith was reunited with her family and the entire state, nation and world erupted in celebration. It was a privilege to be out on the water today to reflect on the past 18 days and allow the news that broke this morning to sink in. People from all walks of life have been searching, hoping and praying as Army, SES, volunteers and Police dedicated every moment searching for Cleo & never once giving up hope. The search for Cleo was relentless as the world watched on and every day the pressure continued to mount. Communities rallied together to support Cleo’s family & all those working to find her as local businesses from far and wide did all they could to help. Prayers and vigils were held as everyday thousands of people waited & hoped, a feeling of immense sadness could be felt in communities Australia wide.
The saying goes that evil prevails when good men do nothing and we thank God that our Police did everything they could to find Cleo. The news broke this morning that Cleo’s Guardians had found and rescued her as our nation erupted in relief and celebration. Our thoughts turned to all those that helped to find Cleo and how proud we are of our Police force, heroes within our community that fight every moment of every day against evil. It was the most beautiful day as the sunshine nearly matched the brightness of everyones smiles, the ripple affect of Cleo being reunited with her family could be seen everywhere nationwide. Today we watched as four mother Humpback Whales and their calves joined together and spent the entire morning gently socialising. It was an emotional interaction as it reflected the days events perfectly, these mother whales nurturing their calves and coming together for support and comfort during their time in the resting grounds.
A day our nation will forever treasure with the efforts of all those involved in finding Cleo reflecting the best in our society as good people stood up and fought against evil. Our gratitude to everyone involved in finding Cleo especially the heroes in the WA Police force who gave their everything. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cleo’s family, friends and community during this time and we thank God for this day and bringing Cleo back home. To darling Cleo, you are a brave and resilient young lady who has a very bright future ahead of you and dreams to accomplish. Know that your family loves you more than anything else in this world and you have the support of Australia with you every step of the way, welcome home Cleo xxxx