NSW Police mistakenly informed the family of missing bushwalker Lily Hooper that the 18-year-old had been found alive. This devastating miscommunication occurred after an eight-day search in the state’s Southern Highlands. For almost 20 minutes on Thursday, Hooper’s parents, Jim and Kirrily Hooper, believed their daughter had miraculously survived, only to be told shortly after that she had been found dead.
Commissioner Mal Lanyon on Thursday apologized for the miscommunication, stating, "I don’t know exactly what was said to her parents at the time, but obviously her condition, when she was located, the initial information that had been reported and was communicated, was that she was alive." An SES volunteer reportedly found Hooper, and an officer at the search base relayed the incorrect news to the family. Jim Hooper had earlier expressed hope, laying his daughter’s guitar and Tim Tams under the marquee the family had used as a makeshift home since August 12. He cried, "She’s coming home," before the brief celebration turned to renewed grief.
The State's Performance
The miscommunication may have stemmed from a radio code used by SES searchers, which refers to water bottle levels to signal a person’s condition if family members are monitoring radio traffic. A half bottle of water is believed to indicate an unclear condition. Hooper’s mother stated police told her Lily was found alive with half a bottle of water. Police do not use this code in their own operations.
Commissioner Lanyon’s apology highlighted the state’s own concerns. "That miscommunication, I unashamedly apologise for any additional trauma that may have caused Lily’s family, but certainly for the embarrassment and confusion that caused," he said. He added that the miscommunication was "born out of elation" that Lily had been found. NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Colin Malone suggested remote area radio communications could break up, contributing to the error.
The chain of incorrect information extended to the highest levels of the state apparatus. Lanyon apologized to NSW Premier Chris Minns, who had earlier announced Hooper was alive to a parliamentary budget estimates committee based on the faulty police information. Minns later retracted his statement, saying, "It seems as if the early advice was wrong, and Lily’s body’s been found, and she’s been found deceased." This information had passed from police to the premier via Police Minister Yasmin Catley, a process Lanyon described as not unusual for a high-profile investigation. He confirmed a review of the communication failures would take place, focusing on improving inter-agency coordination.
Symbolic Gestures, Real Grief
Almost 1000 searchers, including police officers, Australian Defence Force personnel, NSW State Emergency Services volunteers, and Rural Fire Service firefighters, had scoured the dense bush since Hooper was reported missing on August 12. Helicopters and thermal imaging technology were also deployed. Authorities are now working to retrieve Hooper’s body from a difficult-to-access site, not on a clear walking track, which Lanyon said could not be reached by police helicopter.
Political figures offered a series of symbolic concessions in response to the tragedy. NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane and Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor both posted and then deleted social media messages indicating Hooper was alive, later expressing sorrow. Taylor told parliament the incorrect reports made the family’s loss "even worse." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it an "unspeakable tragedy," and MPs rose for a moment’s silence. Wollondilly Shire Mayor Matt Gould announced the council’s performing arts centre and library would be lit in purple, and flags flown at half-mast, describing these as "small gestures" to show how deeply Lily’s loss is felt. These actions manage the system's contradictions by offering emotional solidarity without addressing the structural failures in state communication and resource deployment that exacerbated the family's suffering.