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A 2-year-old girl who went missing in West Auckland sparking a huge search by police and members of the public has been found alive.
Officers, family and hundreds of members of the public had been searching for Willow on Sunday, after the girl was last seen playing in the garden of her home in Henderson with her sibling.
Ryan Anderson/Stuff
Willow is returned to her home after being lost for hours.
Outside the property where Willow went missing, her Aunty, who was carrying her, thanked everyone for getting out and looking.
“I’m going to take her home, inside now”, she said.
Willow’s Aunty stopped several times for people to give the girl, who was crying, a hug or a rub on the shoulder.
A large group of around 30 people had formed as Willow was brought back home.
Ryan Anderson/Stuff
Willow, 2, is carried home by her aunty, who thanks everyone for helping in the search of West Auckland.
They were dressed in everything from pyjamas to high-vis – but almost all had flashlights in hand from the hours they had spent searching.
A small cheer went up as she was brought into the centre of the crowd, with one man reaching out to rub her shoulder. “Good to see you”, he said.
As the Aunty took Willow through the front gate towards the home, she joked to the crowd that they could all go home and sleep now.
Everyone dispersed within a few minutes of Willow returning home – with a few pats on the back as they headed down the road.
Ryan Anderson/Stuff
Police had set up a van on Ascot Ave, which is one street down from Zodiac St.
Search and rescue, LandSAR and the police eagle helicopter had all been searching the area for the child.
Local resident Jean Thomas, who had been out searching for Willow, said it was incredible to see the moment she was brought home.
Her group was about to head home, Thomas said, when they saw a crowd gathering around the house.
“I just thought – thank god.”
It was great to see Willow back home after an eventful night, she said.
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