Lily Hooper’s family was told she’d been found alive. ‘She’s coming home,’ her father said
After eight days missing in the rugged NSW bush, word came through that the 18-year-old had been located. Her family were waiting with presents
TL;DR
- Lily Hooper, an 18-year-old hiker, was reported found alive after an eight-day search in NSW's Nattai National Park.
- Her family experienced elation and relief, with her father preparing gifts and her mother anticipating her return.
- This hope was shattered within 30 minutes when it was confirmed that Lily Hooper had actually been found dead.
- Police explained the initial report was a miscommunication stemming from the use of code words by search crews.
- Lily was found off-trail, a significant distance from her car, and the circumstances of her death are under investigation.