Body Believed to Be Missing Teen Bushwalker Lily Hooper Found in NSW Southern Highlands
The body of a woman believed to be missing 18-year-old bushwalker Lily Hooper has been found in bushland in New South Wales, ending an eight-day
The body of a woman believed to be missing 18-year-old bushwalker Lily Hooper has been found in bushland in New South Wales, ending an eight-day search that had drawn intense attention across the state. Police said the body was located about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday in the Southern Highlands.
The discovery came after a confusing morning in parliament, where NSW Premier Chris Minns first told an estimates hearing that Hooper had been found alive. He later corrected himself and apologised, saying the early advice he received was wrong. The case has now shifted from a search for a missing teenager to a coroner’s investigation.
Search ends in dense bushland
NSW Police said the body was found in bushland in the Southern Highlands, a rugged area south-west of Sydney that had been the focus of a multi-agency operation for more than a week. Officers said the body had not yet been formally identified, but they believed it was Hooper, who vanished while bushwalking eight days earlier.
A police statement said a report would be prepared for the coroner. Assistant Commissioner Cassar, asked about the earlier confusion over Hooper’s status, pointed to the difficult terrain and said there was “no playbook for communication”. He described the scene as “thick dense terrain”.
Premier forced to correct himself
Minns interrupted a parliamentary hearing to announce what he thought was good news, saying Hooper had been found alive. He later told lawmakers, “I’ve got some terrible news,” and apologised for the earlier announcement.
According to local reports, he had been handed a handwritten note during the budget estimates session and briefly checked whether the information was accurate before making the statement. His office then moved quickly to confirm the corrected account once police said the body had been found.
The public reversal added to the anguish of a search that had already gripped family and friends. Witnesses at the command post were seen embracing and consoling one another as the news shifted from hope to dread. NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane called the death heartbreaking and sent condolences to Hooper’s family and friends.
What happens next
The formal identification process still has to run its course, but police have said they believe the body is that of the missing 18-year-old. The coroner will now examine the circumstances around Hooper’s death and the search that ended on Thursday, in bushland where conditions had made communication and recovery efforts difficult from the start.
