Beautiful moment mother is reunited with her missing daughter after a Good Samaritan spotted the autistic woman, 20, caked in mud and shaking

An autistic woman who went missing in dense bushland for two days has had an emotional reunion with her mother. 

Yasmina Sims, 20, was found shaking and covered in mud just kilometres from her Mooroolbark home, in Melbourne's north-east, by a family driving past who happened to recognised her. 

A heartwarming video shows the moment her relieved mother, Patricia Townshend,  reunites with her daughter as she sits shaking and crouched by the side of the road. 

Patricia Townshend was reunited with her daughter Yasmina Sims, 20,  after she went missing from their Mooroolbark home 

'I'm just relieved,' Ms Townshend told 9News.

'There are caring people out there who are willing stop and get involved, I can't thank them enough.'  

Her daughter, who lives with autism and requires a high-level of support, went missing from the family's home on Thursday sparking a frantic police search. 

Ms Townshend feared the worst after Yasmina spent two nights lost in bushland without food or medication while cold and alone in the dark. 

Victoria Police said they believe Yasmina had walked for over 15km in the rugged terrain as temperatures dropped below 10C overnight. 

The Maslowski family were driving past when they saw the 20-year-old wandering around the area, wet and shaking from the cold on Saturday. 

A relieved Ms Townshend was glad her daughter was found safe after being lost in dense bushland at Melbourne's east for 2 nights

Cassandra Maslowski, who works as a nurse, knew how to gently approach Yasmina without causing her distress and wrap her in a jacket. 

'Obviously she wasn't talking but you could tell she need some help,' she said. 

Wearing a dark mud-covered hoodie draped over her face, Yasmina was bent over by the side of the road when her mother finally reached her after two nights apart.  

'I'm just glad that she's safe,' Ms Townshend told 9News.

She also added after medical checks her daughter was looking forward to a nice hot meal. 

The 20-year-old has gone missing before and usually likes to hide under buildings which make it difficult to locate her. 

Last October Yasmina went missing at Bushy Creek Trail near Pembroke Road with police appealing for public assistance, she had also disappeared from Bridge Avenue property in July last year for over 24 hours. 

Yasmina lives with autism and is prone to disappearing, preferring to hide underneath buildings which makes it difficult for her to be located