New South Wales Police have issued apologies after a miscommunication led them to mistakenly inform the family of missing hiker Lily Hooper that she had been found alive, a report that was corrected approximately 18 minutes later with the news of her death.
Lily Hooper, 18, disappeared on August 12 after leaving her Sydney home for a hike in a national park in the NSW Southern Highlands. Her family reported her missing that night after she failed to return by 10 p.m. A large-scale search effort involving volunteers and helicopters was launched.
After eight days, Lily's body was discovered in dense vegetation shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. However, within 20 minutes, the family received an updated report confirming her death and stating the earlier information was a mistake.
This miscommunication even reached NSW state leader Chris Minns, who informed a parliamentary hearing that Lily had been found. He was subsequently forced to correct his statement, informing the hearing that "Lily's body has been found."
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated on Thursday afternoon that he regretted providing false hope to the family. "I unashamedly apologise for any additional trauma which this might have caused Lily's family," Lanyon said. "But certainly, for the embarrassment and confusion that caused, the miscommunication, obviously, was born out of elation that Lily had been found. Tragically, that miscommunication then led to a deflation and impact on her family. Once again, I unreservedly apologise for that miscommunication."
Police have not yet formally identified the body, but a spokesperson indicated it is believed to be that of the 18-year-old.
Communication Breakdown
According to reports, searchers sent a radio message at 11:27 a.m. indicating Lily had been found. Operators requested confirmation of her condition using a "water bottle analogy," a code word intended to soften the delivery of upsetting news. A volunteer responded "water bottle broken," which base operators interpreted to mean the missing person was found injured. This led Lily's family to believe she was alive but hurt.
By 11:45 a.m., coordinators sought further clarification on Lily's condition, and an SES volunteer confirmed she was deceased. Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar acknowledged that the initial information conveyed was that searchers believed Lily was alive. He added that within eight to 10 minutes, a more accurate account of the discovery was provided.
Cassar attributed the communication challenges to the dense and difficult terrain of the search area, where teams relied on handheld devices. "Sometimes the communication is a challenge," he said. He defended the decision to relay initial information, stating that the police aimed to keep the family updated rather than withholding developments until every detail was confirmed. "There's no playbook to communication," Cassar stated, though he confirmed the circumstances surrounding the mistake would be examined.
Official Apologies
NSW Premier Chris Minns later apologized via a statement after his parliamentary announcement. "Advice I received earlier today relating to Lily Hooper was incorrect. I genuinely believed I was sharing good news," he said. "My deepest condolences are with Lily's family. I am profoundly sorry to think that anything I said may have added to their heartbreak at an already devastating time."
Commissioner Lanyon also apologized to Minns for the incorrect information, noting that the miscommunication had been relayed through police commands to government officials. "It was something that was inadvertent, but as I said, was borne out of looking to find Lily and bring her back to her family," he said.
Lily's body is expected to be recovered on foot due to the rough terrain hindering air extraction. The recovery is anticipated to take longer than hours.
The body was found on the Bonnum Pic Walking Trail, a strenuous 16-kilometer route known for rock scrambling and bush bashing, which is considered challenging even for experienced hikers. Trail guides warn hikers to proceed cautiously and download maps due to often difficult-to-find trail sections and unreliable mobile signals.