This is South Devon --THE daughter of a Torbay policeman has revealed how she found — and saved — missing Polish worker Magda Krawiec.
The 20-year-old had been missing for 12 days when she was spotted by Megan Foster.
The 18-year-old, from Preston, Paignton, recognised Magda because of her distinctive black beanie hat.
Magda remains seriously ill in hospital after apparently sleeping rough in a disused garage near Scadson Woods.
Mystery still surrounds the missing 12 days because she has been too ill to speak to police. Detectives waiting to interview Magda say it is not a criminal investigation.
Police say Magda may not have survived another night had she not been found that day. Her condition in hospital has been described as serious following 12 days sleeping rough in which she appears not to have eaten or drunk anything.
Teenager Megan revealed she recognised Magda's photograph from Facebook. Megan, who works at Next at The Willows in Torquay, is the daughter of Des Foster, a detective with the Major Crime Investigation Team.
She said: "I keep thinking if we hadn't found her that could have been her last day. She was so ill when we found her. She couldn't really talk."
She said she found Magda at about 7pm on Saturday in the All Hallows area of Preston, near Scadson Woods.
She said: "My friend was dropping me home and as we came up the hill she was just sitting on the pavement on the corner which was a bit unusual.
"I glanced down at her as we drove past and she had the black woolly hat on which she was wearing in the photo I had seen on Facebook. As she looked at me I said to my friend 'I think it's the Polish woman'.
"Straight away I called my dad to see if he was at home and he came out and walked over to her and showed her his police badge. She took my dad's hand and walked up to our house. I asked her if she wanted a hand and she took my hand and I took her into the house.
"We sat her down and gave her some drink and she had a glass of water.
"She didn't really want to be left on her own and I went and sat with her in the bathroom while mum made her a cup of tea. She looked totally puzzled and not with it. She didn't really talk. She was absolutely freezing
"When the ambulance and police were here she was sat on the sofa with her head resting on my shoulder.
"Every now and then she gave me a slight smile and I felt so sorry for her.
"She did ask what day it was. She said 'I have been missing a long time'. But she said she thought it was May 15, only two days after she went missing. We told her it was May 25."
Dc Sarah Briggs said: "Des Foster's daughter told him that she thought it was Magda. She was sitting on a towel on the pavement.
"It's amazing that she was found."
Supt Nikki Leaper and Det Insp Chris Yarwood both thanked the public for their response in the search for Magda, who disappeared the day after arriving in Paignton.
On the day of her disappearance she had been to her first day's work at the Sea Food Company, where she had also worked the previous summer and autumn.
Her prolonged disappearance sparked major air and sea searches throughout the Bay.
Det Con Foster said: "I was out in the back garden when my youngest daughter drove into our close and saw the girl sitting on the pavement and saw things weren't right.
"She looked very ill. It was quite apparent she was dehydrated and was certainly hypothermic.
"She couldn't talk but she wrote down her name.
"If Megan hadn't realised who she was she could easily have wandered back off into Scadson Woods and may not have been found." Reported by This is 18 hours ago.