An 18-year-old Australian hiker was found dead eight days after she vanished during a solo trip — all while her anguished family had mistakenly been told she was alive earlier.
Lily Hooper was last seen leaving her Oakdale, New South Wales, home last Wednesday ahead of a hike at the Nattai National Park – around 62 miles away – but failed to return home that night, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Hooper’s Hyundai was found at the bottom of one of the protected area’s more challenging trails at 11 p.m., an hour after her family reported her missing.
Around 1,000 people – including volunteers, law enforcement and military personnel – searched for Hooper over the past week, combing through dense bushland, before her body was tragically found Thursday.
Volunteers reported to law enforcement at around 11:30 a.m. local time that Hooper had been found alive, Joseph Cassar, the New South Wales Police assistant commissioner, told reporters, before additional information was received.
“Within eight to 10 minutes, we were able to give [her family] an update, which was a more accurate account of the discovery of the person we believed to be Lily,” he said.
“My absolute condolences go out to Lily’s mom and dad.”
Cassar attributed the error to a communication issue as he delivered the groveling apology to Hooper’s family.
“They’re carrying handheld communication devices… sometimes the communication is a challenge,” he said.
“I cannot turn the clock back. If we were able to provide them more detailed information on that first report, I can tell you that would have been the case.”
“This is not a circumstance I would like to see repeated and again I apologize for any trauma or embarrassment this has caused,” Mal Lanyon, the New South Wales Police commissioner, said.
News of the initial discovery was passed through to the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, who was addressing a parliamentary committee.
He even checked with a staffer if the news that Hooper was alive before revealing it.
“We’ve got some fantastic news, Mr Chair,” the pol said. “Lily Hooper has been found alive.
“[Hooper was] found in the bush with half a bottle of water with it, so that’s fantastic news.”
Minns was embarrassingly forced to retract his statement moments later.
“I’ve got some terrible news,” he told lawmakers. “I apologize… Lily’s body has been found.”
It’s not clear how Hooper died and if she sustained any injuries.
“[Her body] wasn’t on a clear, walkable track… it was some significant distance away from where the vehicle was parked,” Cassar said.
He said the challenges of flying her body out of the national park are “proving to be exceptionally difficult” meaning she will likely be brought out on foot.
Just days before the tragic discovery, her dad, Jim, issued a desperate appeal to those who were searching.
“I just want everyone to throw love and energy because we’ve got to go and find her, got to go find this kid … she’s got to be in there somewhere, mate,” he told a local radio station on Monday.
