Teen hiker's disappearance ends in tragedy at national park with key question remaining
An eight-day search in a remote national park for a missing person has yielded a tragic outcome for a desperate family.
An 18-year-old Australian hiker was found dead in dense bushland, authorities said. Lily Hooper, a teenager from Oakdale, southwest of Sydney, had set out for a hike in the park, according to SBS News, a public broadcaster in Australia — and went missing on Aug. 12.
A body believed to be Hooper's was found in bushland in Nattai National Park, which New South Wales Police described as about 37 miles northwest of the town of Mittagong.
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Authorities have not determined or released a cause of death.
The outlet reported that Hooper's car was found at the Bonnum Pic trailhead the same night she went missing.
The week-long search ended Thursday morning when "the body of a woman was located in bushland," said NSW Police.
"While yet to be formally identified, the body is believed to be that of the 18-year-old woman," police said late last week, adding that a report would be prepared for the coroner.
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A volunteer located the body at around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday — but a communication breakdown initially led the young woman's family to believe she had been found alive, said New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar.
"[The family] were [given] initial information [that] the searchers believed she was alive, and that's what was communicated," Cassar told reporters.
"Within eight to 10 minutes we were able to give them an update, which was a more accurate account," he added.
Hooper's death drew commentary from Australia's top political leaders and even prompted a moment of silence in Parliament.
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"The tragedy of a parent losing a young one ... is an unspeakable tragedy," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, per SBS News. "Lily had so much more to offer the world."
Fox News Digital reached out to New South Wales Police for additional comment.
Jim Hooper, the father of Lily Hooper, praised emergency workers for their diligent efforts to find his daughter and forgave police and all involved for the apparent communication mix-up that she'd been found alive, according to 7NEWS Australia.
"Their hearts and their efforts — I couldn't knock it," he said.
Nattai National Park is known for its rugged hiking, sandstone cliffs and vast bushland, according to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.
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The agency separately warns hikers that cliff edges can be unstable or obscured by vegetation, conditions can change rapidly — and many national parks have limited cellphone coverage.
Officials recommend that hikers carry personal locator beacons when venturing into remote areas.
"Many national parks in NSW don't have mobile phone coverage," the website states.
"If you're planning a walk in a remote area, bring a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) as an added safety precaution."
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Hooper's death is the latest in a string of fatal hiking and climbing incidents in recent months.
This month, accomplished rock climber Jake Whisenant, 30, died in an accident in California's Sierra Nevada.
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Whisenant was killed in a fall at Sequoia National Park on Aug. 3, suffering blunt-force trauma injuries, authorities told Fox News Digital.
In June, an 18-year-old hiker died after experiencing heat-related symptoms while hiking the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail.
The eight-day search for Lily Hooper in Australia involved about 1,000 people, the BBC reported.