The body of 18-year-old Lily Hooper has been found in dense bushland in New South Wales, Australia, ending an eight-day search for the Sydney teenager who went missing during a solo hike on 12 August. Police confirmed on Thursday that the body, discovered at approximately 11:30 local time in the Nattai National Park — a rugged reserve about 90 kilometres south-west of Sydney — was believed to be that of Hooper, though formal identification was still pending. A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Hooper had left her Sydney home to walk a trail in the Nattai National Park, reaching the summit of Bonnum Pic mountain mid-morning before contact with her was lost. She was reported missing that evening after failing to return home, and her car was subsequently found near the trailhead on Wanganderry Road at High Range. Search operations were complicated by the terrain — dense vegetation with a heavy tree canopy that hampered aerial searches — and poor weather over the preceding weekend. The operation drew resources from across multiple agencies, including NSW Police units, the State Emergency Service, the Rural Fire Service, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, and nearly 100 members of the Australian Defence Force. Volunteer crews travelled from as far north as Cessnock, and Hooper's own family joined the ground search.

The discovery was compounded by a painful sequence of miscommunications. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told state parliament that Hooper had been found alive — with half a bottle of water — before retracting the statement within minutes. "Lily's body has been found," Minns said, visibly shaken. "This is obviously devastating, and I'm profoundly sad for her family and for all those concerned. I apologise." He later said he had received incorrect advice and "genuinely believed" he was sharing good news. Assistant Police Commissioner Joseph Cassar acknowledged that there was a window of eight to ten minutes during which inaccurate information reached Hooper's family, stating that if he "could turn the clock back, I would certainly."

The discovery prompted an outpouring of tributes from Australia's political leadership. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Hooper's death as an "unspeakable tragedy," saying she "had so much more to offer the world." Opposition leader Angus Taylor, who represents the electorate where the Hooper family lives, said the false initial reports had deepened an already unimaginable loss. "Any parent who reads this news will hug their children tighter tonight," he said. The death of the young hiker has prompted wider reflection in Australia on the risks of solo bushwalking in remote terrain, where dense canopy, unpredictable weather and limited mobile coverage can rapidly transform an outing into a survival ordeal.