Australian officials told missing teenager Lily Hooper’s family she had been found alive, then ten minutes later had to tell them she was actually dead.
The eight-day search for 18-year-old Australian hiker Lily Hooper ended in tragedy on Thursday when her body was found in Nattai National Park. The family’s grief was made worse by a devastating mix-up that gave them hope she had survived.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns initially told parliament that Hooper had been found alive, describing it as “fantastic news.”
That information was relayed to her family before officials realized it was wrong. Minns corrected himself shortly afterward.
Police commissioner Mal Lanyon issued an apology for the miscommunication. Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar said there was approximately eight to ten minutes between the family receiving the initial report and being given the correct information.
“If I could turn the clock back, I would certainly,” he said.
How Lily went missing
Lily left her family home on August 12 to go walking in Nattai National Park, a challenging area of bushland southwest of Sydney. When she failed to return that evening her family reported her missing.
Her car was later found at the bottom of a difficult trail. Search and rescue teams worked around the clock for over a week before locating her body on Thursday morning.
She was described by police as an experienced hiker and walker, which had given searchers reason to hope she might be able to navigate the terrain and find her way out safely.
Tributes from parliament
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Lily in parliament, calling her death an unspeakable tragedy.
“Lily Hooper had so much more to offer the world. Her passing, I have no doubt, will be felt very deeply,” he said.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor, Lily’s local MP, acknowledged that the initial false report would have made an already unbearable situation even worse for the family.
“We can only imagine what Lily’s family is going through right now. Such news would be a nightmare for any parent.”
Her parents had issued a statement earlier in the week thanking emergency services and volunteers for their efforts.
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