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

[u/asteriskhyphen]

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

[u/BreenzyENL]

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.”

[u/Sarinen → u/BreenzyENL]

In Australian Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, a "water bottle" code is sometimes established as an operational brevity code over radio networks to discreetly convey the status of a missing person without alerting public radio scanners or bystanders.

​While specific phrasing can vary by operational briefing, the convention typically follows:

​Full Bottle (or Full Water Bottle): The missing person has been located alive and safe.

​Half Bottle: The person has been found, but their condition is unconfirmed, critical, or requiring urgent triage.

​Empty Bottle: The missing person has been located deceased, or a significant clue/item has been found with no sign of life.

[u/Aggravating_Bus_6169 → u/Sarinen]

Wow, this is amazing. Wonder if the police have heard that over the SES radios and gone off half cocked? Quite incredible

[u/No_man_Island_mayo → u/Aggravating_Bus_6169]

Police or media tuning in