The family of a toddler who went missing in West Auckland yesterday have thanked the woman who found her and kept her safe.
Two-year-old Willow went wandering from her Henderson home yesterday afternoon, sparking a frantic search.
Police said a member of the public spotted Willow walking along Universal Drive and waited with her before taking her home. Willow was then reunited with her family that evening.
Speaking outside their Zodiac Street home this morning, Willow's family expressed its gratitude to the Good Samaritan.
"Thank you so much for keeping her safe, all the blessings to you," Waimirirangi Rudolph, Willow's mum, told 1News.
She said Willow was happily playing with the woman's grandchildren at a home five or six kilometres away when picked up by police.
"I was having a cry in the room to my friend then I heard the commotion saying 'we found her' and I rushed out the house and jumped in the cop car and went and picked her up, I was so happy and emotional," Rudolph said.
She also explained the events leading up to Willow's wandering.
"It was just a normal day and she was just playing with the neighbourhood kids who all come over here to play and stuff.
"She was with her brother on the trampoline playing and her father was helping his dad fix his car, then her brother and friends took off and left the gate open and she just snuck out.
"The lady that found her, found her on the corner right there and took her home," she said pointing down the road.
Rudolph "panicked" right away and went running up and down the street looking for her then called police.
The family said the whole community turned out to try and locate Willow and the "streets were packed".
"If you break down the word community you get common unity and that is what happened," Pio Iosefo, Willow’s uncle, said.
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