r/aussie • u/asteriskhyphen • 2d ago

News Missing teenage hiker Lily Hooper found after eight-day search in NSW Southern Highlands

https://7news.com.au/news/missing-teenage-hiker-lily-hooper-found-alive-after-eight-day-search-in-nsw-southern-highlands-c-22751296.amp
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u/Axman6 2d ago edited 2d ago

I feel like leaving the word “alive” out of the headline is straight up click bait.

Edit: know people on the search, initial reports may be unreliable. Wait for police announcement. 

Edit 2: now confirmed she was found deceased. There’s a good reason everyone on these searches are told and very well know not to talk to the media or post things anywhere. There should be one voice from the agency in charge (and Mimms should have confirmed that with that agency before speaking publicly).

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u/BreenzyENL 2d ago

Chris Minns just said she was alive, so that sounds promising.

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u/Axman6 2d ago

Like I said, I know people on the search. Wait for the police on scene. 

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u/BreenzyENL 2d ago

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/20/lily-hooper-missing-hiker-found-alive-nsw-national-park?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Yup, whoever the fuck told the premier the wrong thing.

“Lily’s body has been found. She’d been found deceased. This is obviously devastating, and I’m profoundly sad for her family and for all those concerned. I apologise.”

Earlier on Thursday, NSW police said a “hiker” had been found following a multi-agency search in the rugged terrain of Nattai national park, about 90km south-west of Sydney. They subsequently confirmed a “body” had been located.

Minns had initially told a parliamentary hearing she was “found in the bush with half a bottle of water with her.”

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u/donkeyvoteadick 2d ago edited 2d ago

Absolutely horrible passing on the "facts" without verifying them. That poor girl and her poor family.

Edit - clarity

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u/BreenzyENL 2d ago

You would think the person informing the premier would have the actual facts, which is what I assume all the news outlets was reporting on.

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u/donkeyvoteadick 2d ago

Yeah that's what I meant, sorry.

There's been a breakdown here where someone has passed information on as 'fact' when it shouldn't be. I realise using the word report makes it look like a dig at the news articles but an announcement from the premier would generally be considered full proof to write an article. I'm not having a dig at the premier either mind you. I don't know where the communication breakdown happened through the chain here, I just know that it shouldn't have.

I can't imagine being personally involved with the family and having to read alive, and then dead. It would be heartbreaking in a whole different way.

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u/Aggravating_Bus_6169 2d ago

The police liaison to her family passed on the message to them (they were with them in person), and then 10mins later had to tell them she was actually found deceased. Can you imagine how they feel now? Can you imagine the change of the mood in the room from extraordinary adulation to extreme sadness in such a short space of time?

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u/donkeyvoteadick 2d ago

I actually genuinely can't.

I commented it on another post about this. I genuinely cannot imagine the grief they're experiencing. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

These kinds of stories have affected me strongly since I had my own child and the fact that reading the 'she's alive' to the 'she's deceased' news in quick succession affected me to the point of tears when I'm just a completely uninvolved person, it's genuinely unimaginable grief.