Story perspectives

Premier Retracts “Alive” Claim After Hooper Death Found

8/20/2026

Summary

Minns False Report

Police found Lily Hooper’s body in Nattai National Park after an eight-day search.
NSW Premier Chris Minns mistakenly announced she was alive, then retracted the statement minutes later.
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar each issued unreserved apologies for the error.
The false report reached Lily’s parents for about eight to ten minutes before correction.
A coronial inquiry will examine Hooper’s death and the communication breakdown.

Summary

SES Discovers

SES volunteers, a highly trained bush search and rescue team, discovered the body.
Nearly 100 Australian Defence Force reservists from the 5th Brigade joined the search.
Search teams employed trail bikes, horses, dogs and helicopters across the rugged area.
The 16-km Bonnum Pic trail is rated strenuous with weak mobile signal and solo-hike warnings.
Helicopter winch attempts failed because dense canopy made aerial extraction unsafe.

History

Historical Context

On 30 July 1997 a 3,500-tonne rock and mud slide destroyed the Bimbadeen and Carinya lodges at Thredbo, killing 18 people and trapping ski instructor Stuart Diver for 65 hours. The rescue, coordinated by New South Wales Police, the Australian Defence Force and Rural Fire Service, highlighted the need for integrated command. That lesson informs today’s Nattai National Park search and calls for stricter incident-reporting protocols.

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Minns False Report

Police found Lily Hooper’s body in Nattai National Park after an eight-day search.
NSW Premier Chris Minns mistakenly announced she was alive, then retracted the statement minutes later.
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar each issued unreserved apologies for the error.
The false report reached Lily’s parents for about eight to ten minutes before correction.
A coronial inquiry will examine Hooper’s death and the communication breakdown.

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