The parents of a 15-year-old girl found after an overnight search west of Waldrons Swamp have described their frightening ordeal and thanked rescuers.
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Emily Murphy's parents, Shirley and Stephen, were "shattered" after the experience.
Mrs Murphy said they were devastated to discover Emily was missing, but were "over the moon" after rescuers found her in dense bushland.
"(It was) the worst day of our lives to the best day of our lives," she said.
Emily and her brother became separated on quad bikes on Thursday night, October 31.
She would have been petrified.
- Shirley Murphy, mother
Her parents searched bushland and fire trails from 8pm and Police, SES, RFS, Forestry and rescue helicopter Lifesaver 23 were called in.
"I expected to see her sitting on the side of the road pretty much straight away, but it went on and on and on," Mr Murphy said.
Mr Murphy said the first response team searched for four or five hours at night.
"I was going down one track and I'd bump into them going down another," Mr Murphy said.
"They had a heat sensor helicopter for a few hours from Sydney - that didn't find her," Mrs Murphy said.
The family spent a sleepless night waiting for the search to resume.
"They said, first light they'd have all these blokes here, and they did," Mr Murphy said.
The breakthrough came when Mr Murphy spotted Emily's quad bike on the morning of November 1.
"I didn't spot her, I found the bike," Mr Murphy said.
"Then they all came to that area and searched there ... thank God they found her."
He realised Emily had been only 50 metres away from where he was searching the night before, but they couldn't hear each other.
"I was beeping the horn but I couldn't see her," he said.
"She didn't judge the time right so she stayed out too late, it got dark and she lost her way."
Emily was "more shaken than injured", and it was a "hard way to get off school".
"She would have been terrified," Mrs Murphy said.
"She's a very shy, innocent little girl. Not so little - but she would have been petrified.
"She just came out with a scratch and a tick."
The family said emergency services and volunteers were "magnificent".
"We moved to paradise, that's all I can say. Lovely people," Mrs Murphy said.
She said Emily's brother searched with police all night.
"He's just over the moon," she said.
Police thanked emergency services and the community for their assistance.
SES Batemans Bay deputy commander Chris Chapman said Emily was an "absolute trooper".
"(She was) nice and loud, so we could hear her, followed every instruction, and she was very grateful," Mr Chapman said.
"(We) brought her back to Mum and Dad ... another story to tell, so all positive outcomes."
He said emergency services were "brothers and sisters".
"At the end of the day, we all look out for each other, and we all do the same thing: come out, bring that loved one home and go home to our loved ones," Mr Chapman said.
Police said Polair and the ACT rescue helicopter were also involved.
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