Overview
- An SES searcher located the body in dense bushland about 11.30am on Thursday, August 20, and police say the person is believed to be 18‑year‑old Lily Hooper pending formal identification.
- For roughly eight to 10 minutes after the discovery, Hooper’s parents and some officials were mistakenly told she had been found alive before police corrected the record and apologised for the error.
- The search that led to the discovery grew to nearly 1,000 people, including close to 100 Australian Defence Force personnel, about 280 SES volunteers and specialist police teams because the terrain is steep, cliff‑lined and thickly vegetated.
- Recovery from the site was difficult due to the remote location and poor radio and mobile signals, and police have prepared a report for the coroner with a post‑mortem to follow to establish identity, timing and cause of death.
- Oakdale and the wider Southern Highlands community have begun mourning with tributes and local memorials, and authorities say they will review communication processes to prevent a repeat of the tragic misreporting.