Eighteen-year-old Lily Hooper was reported missing on August 12, 2026, after leaving her Sydney home for a hike in Nattai National Park [1, 2, 3, 4]. Police discovered her car that night at a car park at the base of a difficult trail near High Range [1, 2, 4].

Hooper last sent messages around mid-morning on August 12 as she reached the summit of Bonnum Pic mountain. She was reported missing when she did not return by 10 p.m. that day [2].

A multi-agency search effort then took place from August 12 to August 19. It involved NSW Police, the Rural Fire Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service, almost 100 Australian Defence Force personnel, and many volunteers [1, 2, 4]. The search was hampered by poor weather and dense bushland with a thick tree canopy, which made aerial reconnaissance and radio communication difficult [2, 3].

On the morning of August 20, search volunteers reported finding a hiker. Radio communication errors in the rugged terrain caused them to mistakenly communicate that Hooper was found alive [3, 4]. Around 11:30 a.m. local time, police located the body of a woman believed to be Lily Hooper in dense bushland in the Southern Highlands [1, 2, 4].

NSW Premier Chris Minns initially told a parliamentary hearing that Hooper had been found alive but quickly corrected himself. He announced that her body had been found and she was deceased, apologising to the family and the public for the misinformation. "This is obviously devastating, and I'm profoundly sad for her family and for all those concerned," Minns said [1, 2, 3, 4].

Police Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar explained, "SES search volunteers had told police they believed they had found Hooper alive at 11.30am... the hundreds of searchers... faced communication challenges in the thick, dense terrain." SES Assistant Commissioner Colin Malone added, "It’s very rugged and rough terrain up there and radio communication – like mobile phone communication... information does get broken up a little bit" [3].

Hooper's family spent much of the search at the command post near the trailhead [3, 4]. NSW Police and government officials have issued formal apologies for the earlier confusion [1, 2, 4].

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Hooper's death an "unspeakable tragedy" and said in parliament, "Lily Hooper had so much more to offer the world. Her passing, I have no doubt, will be felt very deeply" [4].

A formal identification and report are pending for the coroner following the recovery of the body [1, 2, 4].