Lily Hooper’s family had just received news that their daughter had been found after being missing for eight days, but their joy was short-lived before the heartbreaking truth was confirmed
Lily Hooper’s family had just received news that their daughter had been found after being missing for eight days, but their joy was short-lived before the heartbreaking truth was confirmed.
Lily, 18, had gone missing in the Southern Highlands (NSW). Upon hearing she had been “found,” the family immediately believed she was alive and even prepared for their reunion.
However, police later confirmed that the initial information was incorrect.
NSW Police have apologized for the error in communication.
An eight-day ordeal ended in profound grief—and a single police announcement changed everything.
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**Lily Hooper’s family had just received news that their daughter had been found after being missing for eight days, but their joy was short-lived before the heartbreaking truth was confirmed.**
Lily Hooper, 18, had vanished on 12 August while hiking in Nattai National Park in the NSW Southern Highlands. After an exhaustive multi-agency search involving hundreds of personnel, including Australian Defence Force members, SES volunteers and police, her body was located in dense bushland at approximately 11.30am on Thursday, 20 August.
When the initial report reached the search command post, officers informed Lily’s parents — who had remained at the site throughout the ordeal — that she had been found. The family immediately believed she was alive. In those fleeting minutes they prepared, emotionally and practically, for a reunion after more than a week of anguish.
That hope collapsed within eight to ten minutes. Updated information from the scene confirmed the young woman was deceased. Formal identification is still pending, but police say they believe the body is Lily’s.
NSW Police have apologised for the communications error. Commissioner Mal Lanyon described the mistake as “born out of elation” after searchers finally located the missing teenager in thick, remote terrain. Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar noted the practical difficulties of handheld radio contact in an area with poor reception. “There’s no playbook to communication,” he said. Police and the SES will review the incident as part of the broader investigation.
The brief window of false hope compounded the family’s grief. What began as an eight-day ordeal of desperate searching ended in profound sorrow. A single police announcement — first hopeful, then corrected — changed everything in a matter of minutes.
A coronial investigation is under way. Criminal investigators from the Hume Police District are gathering evidence as standard protocol. The cause and exact circumstances of Lily’s death remain under examination. Her body is still to be recovered from the difficult terrain.
Lily’s parents had earlier described themselves as “absolutely devastated” and pleaded for their daughter’s safe return. On Thursday that hope was first raised, then taken away. Police have acknowledged the additional trauma caused by the miscommunication and expressed deep regret.
