The family of missing student nurse Owami Davies said that they are “forever grateful” to people who helped find her in the search that lasted almost seven weeks.
The 24-year-old left her family home in Grays, Essex, on 4 July after telling her mother that she was going to the gym.
On Tuesday 23 August, Ms Davies was found “safe and well” 100 miles away from home in Hampshire.
Ms Davies’ family expressed their relief on Twitter, writing: “Good evening everyone, Owami Davies has been found. Found alive and safe. We spoke to her.
“We the Davies family would like to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you wherever you are, whoever you are. Thank you for your well wishes, love, hugs, and thoughts. Together we searched far & beyond. We are forever grateful.”
Ms Davies has finished her final year at King’s College London student and secured a job at a hospital in south London two months before her studies finished.
Her colleagues at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) said: “We are delighted that our colleague Owami has been found and is safe. Thank you to everyone who helped to find her.”
Ms Davies’ family had reported her missing to Essex Police on 6 July. The following day she was reported to have been walking north along London Road in Croydon.
Fears grew over her safety as the search continued. Police investigated 117 reported sightings, arrested five men – on suspicion of either murder or kidnap – who were later released on bail, went through 50,000 hours of CCTV footage, and made numerous appeals for information to trace her.
Report number 118 was made by a member of the public at 10.30am on Tuesday and led to her being located.
Before she was found, the Metropolitan Police said that Ms Davies had “been depressed and in the absence of her medication may use alcohol to relieve her depression.”
But, after she was found, police said she “looks in good health” and that she was “not currently in the vulnerable state that we were led to believe she was in at the start of her disappearance.”
Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney from the force’s Specialist Crime Command also said: “This is clearly the outcome we were hopeful for – the finding of the missing lady, Owami Davies.
“I’d like to say she has been found safe and well outside the London area in the county of Hampshire and she’s currently with specialist officers from my team.”
Mr Penney added the Met Police will speak to Ms Davies and try to establish what concerns she had that led to her disappearance.
Both Essex Police and the Met Police – the latter of which joined the search after sightings of Ms Davies were made in London – have faced criticism after opportunities to find her were missed.
It had emerged that Scotland Yard officers spoke to Ms Davies the same day she was reported missing to Essex Police.
Police were called to check on the welfare of a woman sleeping in a doorway in Croydon. Officers called the London Ambulance Service but Ms Davies told them she did not want help and left before paramedics could arrive.
Officers were not aware that she was a missing person as she had yet to be logged on the database at the time.
The matter has been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is assessing whether to take further action.
Met Commander Paul Brogden said “all aspects” of the investigation are to assessed to see whether there is “any learning that we need to take” from how it was handled.
