Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Aug 21

Police Recover 18-Year-Old Lily Hooper's Body, Apologize After 30-Minute False Hope

Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Aug 21

Police Recover 18-Year-Old Lily Hooper's Body, Apologize After 30-Minute False Hope

Q: What vital safety gear was an experienced solo bushwalker missing that led to a tragic end in Australia's unforgiving wilderness?

She was apparently missing an emergency locator beacon — commonly referred to in Australia as a personal locator beacon (PLB), EPIRB or satellite emergency device. The reporting does not definitively state that Lily Hooper did not carry one, and police said they were initially uncertain about exactly what supplies she had with her. But the strongest safety lesson repeatedly highlighted by police and related coverage was the absence, or possible absence, of a beacon or satellite communication device in remote terrain where mobile coverage is unreliable. Officials and bushwalking guidance tied to the case stressed that even experienced solo hikers should carry more than a mobile phone in places like Nattai National Park. Police specifically reminded bushwalkers to take adequate supplies and an emergency beacon or satellite phone, because the Bonnum Pic area is steep, overgrown and difficult to search from the air due to dense canopy. In practical terms, the vital gear in question was a personal emergency beacon or satellite SOS communicator — the kind of device that can transmit a distress signal when a hiker is injured, lost or unable to get phone service. In Australia’s remote bushland, that can be the difference between a delayed search and a rapid rescue.

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 21

NSW police said Lily Hooper's body was recovered from Nattai National Park and airlifted out after an eight-day search involving about 1,000 people.
Within 30 minutes of officials saying the 18-year-old hiker had been found alive with half a bottle of water, authorities corrected the account and confirmed she was dead.
Chris Minns and police commissioner Mal Lanyon apologized to Hooper's family, who briefly believed she was alive, while police opened an investigation into the communication failure.
Mike Wassing said coded language is often used in major searches to avoid broadcasting sensitive details, and police said they will review protocols as a post-mortem is prepared to confirm identity and cause of death.