Eight days after 18-year-old solo hiker Lily Hooper failed to return from a backcountry trek through New South Wales’ remote Nattai National Park, search crews recovered her body in an isolated stretch of the wilderness southwest of Sydney on Thursday, August 20. More than 1,000 personnel from state police, the Australian Army, and the State Emergency Service (SES) had joined the multi-day search effort to locate the missing teenager.
In the wake of the devastating discovery, Lily’s father Jim Hooper has publicly called on New South Wales Premier Chris Minns to authorize a state-level tribute to honor his daughter’s life. In an interview with 7News, Jim Hooper said he hoped the premier would order flags flown at half-mast as a formal recognition of Lily, who he described as a passionate advocate for young women exploring the outdoors.
“Lily was an advocate for young women, and I just want this as a tribute to her,” he said. The family hopes Lily’s legacy will encourage other young girls to embrace adventure and live life to the fullest, just as she did. “She threw everything at life, and she will leave a legacy, I hope, for young girls to get out and about and enjoy the world like she did,” Jim Hooper added. The 18-year-old had long dreamed of working as a movie star; her father notes that while she gained public recognition under tragic circumstances, she ultimately got the wish she had held for so long.
The tragedy was compounded by a widely reported communication error between emergency response agencies after the discovery. Coded internal messaging led Lily’s family, and even Premier Minns, who announced the false update to state parliament, to mistakenly believe Lily had been found alive. The elation of that moment quickly turned to heartbreak when the code was clarified, confirming the 18-year-old’s death. Both Premier Minns and New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon have since issued formal apologies for the miscommunication.
Jim Hooper says his family holds no anger toward responding agencies or political leaders over the mistake. He emphasized that the family is deeply grateful for the extraordinary effort put in by professional rescuers and volunteer teams who worked tirelessly to locate Lily. “I’m not in any way angry at the police or the police commissioner or the Premier,” he said. “We are so grateful for everything they did to try and bring our daughter home.”
News of Lily’s death has sparked an outpouring of collective grief across Australia, particularly in her local Camden & Wollondilly community, where hundreds have turned out to honor her memory. Barely 24 hours after confirmation of her death, community members gathered for a candlelight vigil at Willis Park on Friday evening to stand with the Hooper family through their loss. Local residents have shared hundreds of tributes on social media, remembering Lily’s warm spirit and love of nature. “May your soul rest peacefully … May your family find solace in knowing that you passed doing what you loved,” one local resident wrote. Another added: “You will always be remembered for the love and joy you brought to our community, your memory will live on in our hearts and minds.”
Lily’s alma mater, Campbelltown Performing Arts High School, which she graduated from less than 12 months before her death, also released a public statement honoring their former student. The school remembered Lily as a kind, humorous, and deeply respected young woman who “lit up every room with her infectious smile, positive energy and determination to live life to its fullest.” “She was, and will always remain, a deeply valued member of our school community,” the statement read. “May Lily’s light continue to live on in all of us who were fortunate enough to know her.”