New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has issued an apology to the family of Lily Hooper, a teenage hiker found deceased, after they were mistakenly informed she had been found alive. The family experienced an 18-minute period of false hope before receiving the devastating confirmation.
On Thursday, Lily Hooper's parents were initially told by searchers that their daughter had been discovered in dense bushland in the NSW Southern Highlands shortly before 11:30 a.m. and believed she was alive. However, an updated report just 18 minutes later confirmed her death. "I unashamedly apologise for any additional trauma that may have caused Lily's family," Commissioner Lanyon stated. "But certainly for the embarrassment and confusion that caused the miscommunication, obviously was born out of elation that Lily had been found."
Searchers initially communicated Lily's discovery via radio at 11:27 a.m. using a "water bottle analogy" code to convey her condition without causing immediate distress. Base operators understood the message "water bottle broken" to mean the missing person was injured but alive. However, by 11:45 a.m., searchers confirmed Lily was deceased. Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar explained that the initial communication reflected the searchers' belief that Lily was alive, but this was quickly updated with more accurate information.
The search for the experienced hiker took place over eight days in the Nattai National Park, an area characterized by thick, dense, and difficult-to-navigate bushland. Search teams relied on handheld communication devices, which can be challenging in rugged terrain. The body is expected to be recovered on foot due to the difficulty of air extraction.
The miscommunication also led to New South Wales Premier Chris Minns mistakenly announcing in a budget estimates hearing that Lily had been found alive with "half a bottle of water." He later corrected himself, stating she had been found deceased, and issued a public apology for adding to the family's heartbreak.
Lily Hooper was last seen leaving her parents' home in Oakdale, southwest of Sydney, at approximately 8 a.m. the previous Wednesday. The trek, described as strenuous, involves extensive rock scrambling and bush bashing, with warnings for hikers to proceed cautiously and download maps due to unreliable mobile signals and difficult-to-find trails.
A report will be prepared for the coroner regarding the circumstances of her death and the communication errors. The family had previously expressed gratitude for the extensive search efforts, thanking emergency services and volunteers for their commitment.