Missing Tasmanian girl Shayla Phillips found alive: 'Safe and well'
Four-year-old Shayla Phillips has been found "safe and well" more than two days after she disappeared from her family home in southern Tasmania.
She was found in "heavily wooded" and sloped bushland near Halls Rd, Stormlea, after spending two nights alone in the wilderness, Tasmania Police confirmed on Friday.
“A State Emergency Service ground search team located Shayla around 4pm, in bushland about 1km from where she was last seen on Wednesday,” said Inspector Gavin Hallett.
“We always believed that we would find her, we knew that we would,” Inspector Hallett said.
“This was always a search and rescue operation, no one wavered in their resolve to find Shayla, and bring her home safely.
“I’d like to thank the many dedicated emergency services personnel and volunteers who have tirelessly searched for two days to find Shayla and bring her safely home.”
Shayla has been reunited with her mum and has been taken to hospital for medical assessment.
“I’m relieved we have achieved the outcome we had all hoped for,” Inspector Hallett said.
“Our priority at this point is to support Shayla and ensure she receives the care she needs at this point in time.”
Girl vanished on Wednesday afternoon
Shayla had not been seen since 2.30pm on Wednesday when she was at a Stormlea Rd property playing with two dogs.
One of the dogs that went missing with the four-year-old was located around 7pm on Wednesday, around 800m from where she was last seen.
A large-scale search was conducted of the area as concerns for Shayla's welfare grew.
Additional rescue crews and resources were brought in on Friday to help with the search as it continued through the night.
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