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The body of a woman has been discovered in Australian bushland after an extensive eight-day search for missing 18-year-old Lily Hooper, who disappeared while heading out for a walk in a national park near Sydney.
New South Wales Police said the body had not yet been formally identified, but investigators believe it is that of Hooper. The discovery was made in the Southern Highlands at around 11:30am local time on Thursday.
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Hooper left her home on 12 August intending to walk in the nearby Nattai National Park. Her family raised the alarm later that evening when she failed to return home by 10pm.
Her vehicle was subsequently located in a car park at the base of a difficult walking trail, prompting a large-scale search operation involving police and emergency services.
The search brought together several NSW Police Force specialist units, including PolAir, the Rescue Unit, Trail Bike Unit, Mounted Unit and Dog Unit. The operation was also supported by the Rural Fire Service, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and nearly 100 Australian Defence Force personnel.
The search was overshadowed by confusion on Thursday when NSW Premier Chris Minns mistakenly told a parliamentary hearing that Hooper had been found alive. Reports indicated that her family had also initially been given incorrect information about her condition.
Minns later corrected his statement, confirming that Hooper's body had been found and that she had died. He apologised to the parliamentary committee and expressed his condolences to the teenager's family.
“This is obviously devastating, and I'm profoundly sad for her family and for all those concerned,” Minns said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute to Hooper in parliament, describing her death as an “unspeakable tragedy”. He said the young woman had much more to contribute to the world and that her death would be deeply felt.
Angus Taylor, Hooper's local MP and the Opposition Leader, also expressed sympathy for the family, saying the confusion surrounding the initial reports that she had been found alive had made an already devastating situation even more painful.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hooper's death, while a formal identification is expected to follow.
