After an eight-day search, authorities found the body of a woman believed to be 18-year-old Lily Hooper, who went missing after a hike from her Sydney home on August 12. The discovery followed a false announcement—later retracted—that she had been found alive. Police say a communication breakdown between agencies, possibly involving a misinterpreted State Emergency Service code word, contributed to the error; an investigation has been launched. Officials have apologized and the family has requested privacy.
Lily Hooper: Body Found After Eight-Day Search Following False 'Found Alive' Announcement
Lily Hooper, in images shared by the New South Wales Police.
Authorities have located the body of a woman believed to be 18-year-old Lily Hooper after an eight-day search in New South Wales.
New South Wales Police said the remains were discovered during efforts to locate a missing bushwalker in the Southern Highlands. Formal identification is pending, but officers believe the body is that of Hooper, who was reported missing after leaving her Sydney home for a hike on August 12.
The discovery followed an earlier, incorrect statement in which New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told state parliament that Hooper had been found alive; the premier later retracted the comment.
Officials say the false report stemmed from a breakdown in communications between agencies in the field. Australian outlet news.com.au reported that a commonly used State Emergency Service code word was misinterpreted and subsequently broadcast, contributing to the confusion.
Local media reported that Hooper's family were briefly told she was alive before being informed of the correction. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon apologized "unreservedly" for the error.
"That miscommunication, I apologize for any additional trauma that may have caused Lily's family, but certainly for the embarrassment and confusion that caused," Commissioner Lanyon said.
Assistant Police Commissioner Joseph Cassar said at a press briefing that there was an eight- to ten-minute window before Hooper's family received an updated briefing on her condition. "If I could turn the clock back, I would certainly," he said.
An investigation will be launched to examine the inter-agency communication failures that led to the erroneous announcement.
Search Details
A multi-agency search was conducted over the week, with support from New South Wales Police units including the Rescue Unit, PolAir and the Mounted Unit. Police said the body was found in the Southern Highlands at about 11:30 a.m. local time on Thursday.
Officers located the remains in an area of dense vegetation. Hooper's car was found parked at the base of a challenging trail in Nattai National Park.
Reactions
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the death as an "unspeakable tragedy," adding: "Lily Hooper had so much more to offer the world."
The Hooper family released a statement earlier in the week saying they were "absolutely devastated that our beloved daughter Lily is missing" and asking for privacy and understanding as they navigate the situation.
Context and Safety
Officials and outdoor safety experts note that bushwalking in Australia can be hazardous because of extreme climates, remote terrain and extensive wilderness. Common risks include dehydration, heat exhaustion, becoming lost, sudden weather changes, flash flooding, falls and venomous wildlife encounters.
There are no comprehensive national statistics that specifically track how many people go missing while hiking or how many die during hikes each year in Australia. Hiking-related fatalities and missing-person incidents are most often reported in major wilderness regions such as the Blue Mountains, Tasmania's wild areas, the Larapinta Trail and remote parts of Queensland and Western Australia.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hooper's disappearance and the communication breakdown that preceded the incorrect announcement.
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