The Australian family of a woman missing in Mexico will fly to Cancun in an attempt to rescue her two-year-old daughter.
Authorities on Mexico's Caribbean coast have issued an alert for Tahnee Shanks whose daughter, Adelynn, was found alone in the resort city of Cancun.
Prosecutors in the coastal state of Quintana Roo said Ms Shanks, 32, was last seen on Monday.
Two nights ago, her brother Daniel Shanks woke to news of a Facebook post circulating in Mexico of his niece found wandering alone near a church.
"We contacted them [the person who posted] straight away to let them know who she is," he said.
There is currently no information on how Ms Shanks became separated from her daughter but, on Thursday, prosecutors also issued a missing alert for Adelynn's father.
Both Ms Shanks and Adelynn are Mexican citizens.
The two-year-old is now being cared for by state authorities in Mexico.
A spokesperson from the Queensland Police Service said their organisation was liaising with the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to communicate with Mexican authorities.
Where is Tahnee?
Tahnee Louise Shanks grew up in the Whitsundays and was 18 when she left to travel overseas in 2007.
She met her daughter's father in Mexico and has remained in the country since.
Ms Shanks' family reported her missing to Mackay Police on Wednesday.
Daniel Shanks said he feared for Tahnee's wellbeing.
"Tahnee's been trying to get Addy home to Australia for months now," he said.
Mr Shanks said his sister's "boyfriend" had agreed to sign the paperwork for her to come home.
However, Mr Shanks said the pair had since had a messy break-up after he got another woman pregnant.
Mr Shanks said the family had been in contact with that woman.
Ms Shanks was last heard from on Sunday via online messages that she was in a small fishing village with bad reception.
"The messages didn't seem right … I'm assuming I was talking to him," Mr Shanks said.
"I have been sending them every bit of information that I've found. Many people have been sending messages trying to help out over in Mexico."
Fight to reunite toddler with family
Mr Shanks said Adelynn's paediatrician can speak English and had gone to the police station and translated the information they have.
There has been some confusion as to whether the family will be able to bring Adelynn to Australia.
"We were told by the people holding her that if we can provide her and her mother's birth certificate and proof that we're blood relatives they'll have no problem releasing her," Mr Shanks said.
"But after speaking with police this morning through the translator, she's trying to tell me that while it's an ongoing investigation, we won't be touching the girl."
However, Mr Shanks said he had spoken to a lawyer.
"She said that if there are blood relatives that could take her out of the foster home, they will release her, especially if the Australian Embassy is putting pressure on the Mexican government," he said.
Urgent investigation
Ms Shanks' disappearance is being investigated under Mexico's Alba Protocol.
It was established in 2003 to search and locate missing women and girls and to protect personal freedoms and liberty.
The search is done with the cooperation of three levels of government as well as the general public, media, and other organisations.
Official notification of the declaration by Mexican authorities has been shared dozens of times on social media.
The family have reported Tahnee Shanks' suspected disappearance to Australian authorities.
A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the Embassy was directly engaged and doing all it could.
