After eight days of coordinated large-scale search efforts across rugged New South Wales bushland, authorities have recovered the body of 18-year-old Sydney resident Lily Hooper, bringing a tragic close to a case that captured widespread public attention. The teen, who had departed her Sydney home for a solo day hike in nearby Nattai National Park on August 12, was reported missing that same night after she failed to return by the 10pm deadline her family had expected.
Search teams first located Hooper’s parked vehicle in a lot at the base of one of the national park’s most physically demanding backcountry trails, narrowing the search scope to the remote, dense wilderness of the Southern Highlands region. At roughly 11:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, search crews located the young woman’s body in the area.
The final hours of the search were marked by public confusion after an incorrect announcement that Hooper had been found alive. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns initially told a state parliamentary hearing that the teenager had been located alive, a report that was repeated across multiple local media outlets, which also claimed Hooper’s family had been notified of the false good news. Minns issued a rapid correction moments later, confirming that Hooper’s body had been recovered and that she had been deceased.
“This is obviously devastating, and I’m profoundly sad for her family and for all those concerned,” Minns said, extending his condolences and issuing a formal apology to the parliamentary committee for his earlier incorrect statement.
The week-long search operation drew together resources from dozens of state and federal agencies, marking one of the largest coordinated search efforts for a missing bushwalker in the region in recent years. Multiple specialized units from the New South Wales Police Force participated, including the PolAir aviation search team, mountain rescue units, trail bike and mounted patrols for rough terrain access, and canine search teams. They were joined by ground and logistics support from the Rural Fire Service, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and roughly 100 active personnel from the Australian Defence Force, who aided in grid-searching the park’s vast, uninhabited stretches.