The search is over! The photo has reached the dad & family. He has chosen to remain anonymous in the wake of tragedy, and writes: “Thanks again for that beautiful photo, we will find a special place for it.” Thank you to everyone who has shared the picture and for your kind words
— Brooke Windsor (@brookeawindsor) April 18, 2019
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Windsor first called on social media to help her find the father and daughter’s identities in the photo she snapped on Monday. The shot showed the man smiling as he swung the little girl by her arms outside the building.
“I took this photo as we were leaving #NotreDame about an hour before it caught on fire,” Windsor tweeted. “I almost went up to the dad and asked if he wanted it. Now I wish I had. Twitter if you have any magic, help him find this.”
Within three days, the post received over 470,000 likes and was retweeted more than 225,000 times.
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The devastating fire broke out Monday evening and destroyed the roof of the 850-year-old building along with its towering spire.
The Catholic church is a world-famous landmark for the French capital, second only to the Eiffel Tower, and has been a center of religious and cultural life for centuries.
Pedestrians flooded the streets, with many in tears as they watched the blaze, one Paris resident previously told PEOPLE. As the fire raged on, a crowd gathered near the cathedral to sing “Ave Maria.”
RELATED: Several Christian Relics Saved in Notre Dame Fire While Status of Some Artifacts Remains Uncertain
French President Emmanuel Macron gave an impassioned speech outside the building Monday night, vowing to rebuild the historic structure.
“The worst has been avoided, but the battle isn’t fully won yet,” Macron said. “It is with pride I tell you tonight we will rebuild this cathedral … we will rebuild Notre Dame because it is what the French expect of us, it is what our history deserves, it is, in the deepest sense, our destiny.”
Authorities said on Tuesday that several major artifacts were saved from the blaze. The Crown of Thorns, the Tunic of Saint Louis and “several other major works are now in a safe place,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in a tweet.
RELATED: $1 Billion Raised in Two Days to Rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral After Massive Fire
Additionally, the cathedral’s 18th-century organ and a famous statue of the Virgin Mary inside the cathedral appears to be safe, according to
As of Wednesday morning, nearly €800 million ($995 million) had been raised for what is sure to be a massive rebuilding project, Presidential cultural heritage envoy Stephane Bern told broadcaster France-Info.