Home / Disasters and Accidents / Bushwalker Found Alive? Confused Reports Spark Outcry
Bushwalker Found Alive? Confused Reports Spark Outcry
20 Aug
Summary
- Police mistakenly reported a missing hiker found alive due to radio confusion.
- NSW Premier announced the hiker was found alive, then retracted the statement.
- The error caused additional trauma to the family of the deceased hiker.
An 18-year-old bushwalker, Lily Hooper, was tragically found deceased in Nattai National Park, approximately 90km south-west of Sydney. Initial police reports, however, indicated she had been found alive, a message that reached her family, the NSW Premier Chris Minns, and the media. This miscommunication stemmed from reports by SES search volunteers who believed they had located Hooper alive.
Radio interference within the rugged, dense terrain of the park caused confusion. Within minutes of the initial report, the SES volunteers provided a more accurate update confirming Hooper's death. However, the incorrect information had already been publicly disseminated, including by Premier Minns, leading to profound embarrassment and further distress for Hooper's family.
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has unreservedly apologized for the additional trauma caused. He stated that efforts to communicate findings quickly after an eight-day search may have contributed to the error. Reviews into communication protocols between police and the SES are being initiated to prevent similar failures.
