Missing teen hiker found dead in Australian bush after eight-day search

Missing teen hiker found dead in Australian bush after eight-day search Police have confirmed that the body of 18‑year‑old Lily Hooper was located in the Southern Highlands at approximately 11:30 section time on Thursday, bringing an end to an eight‑day search for the Sydney teen who vanished while bushwalking in Nattai National Park. Hooper was last seen on 12 August after leaving her Sydney residence to walk in the nearby national park. Her family reported her missing that evening when she failed to return home by 10 p.m. Officers later discovered her vehicle parked at the base of a challenging track within the park. Initial reports suggested Hooper might have been found alive, a statement echoed by New South Wales Premier Chris Minns during a parliamentary proceeding. Minns later corrected himself, telling the assembly, “Lily's assemblage has been found” and that she was deceased. He then said, “This is evidently devastating, and I'm profoundly bittersweet for her household and for each those concerned,” said Minns, and apologised to the committee. The search effort involved multiple NSW Police Force units, including PolAir, the Rescue Unit, the Trail Bike Unit, the Mounted Unit and the Dog Unit, supplemented by the Rural Fire Service, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and roughly 100 members of the Australian Defence Force. Authorities have stated that while the remains have not yet been formally identified, they are believed to be those of Lily Hooper. Further details are expected as the investigation proceeds.