The family of missing teenage bushwalker Lily Hooper is enduring an agonising wait for answers, with more than two days now passed since the 18-year-old was last seen.
Emergency crews have launched a large-scale search for the experienced hiker, who disappeared after heading out for a walk in a national park in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Lily was last seen leaving her parents’ home on Burragorang Road in Oakdale, south-west of Sydney, at about 8am on Wednesday.
The teenager had told people she was planning to go hiking, but she has not made contact or been sighted since setting off.
Speaking to Our News Outlet on Friday afternoon, Lily’s uncle, Trent Brideson, said relatives had not received any fresh updates about her whereabouts.
He said Lily’s parents, Kirrily and Jim Hooper, were “understandably not coping very well” as the search continued.
Her aunt, Sheridan Munro, also appealed for help on Facebook, writing: “My beautiful niece Lily Hooper went on a hike in the Southern Highlands and hasn’t returned. We are desperately trying to find her”.
Police from the Hume District later found Lily’s vehicle near the Bonnum Pic walking track in Nattai National Park, roughly a 90-minute drive from Sydney.
Police hold grave fears for Lily Hooper, an 18-year-old who did not return from a hike
Lily is a recent graduate of Campbelltown Performing Arts High School
Nattai National Park is a short drive south-west of Sydney, and features spectacular trails
The discovery sparked a multi-agency search of the rugged area involving NSW Police, NSW SES and the Lifesaver 21 rescue helicopter crew.
Bonnum Pic – a gruelling 17km return journey – features both on- and off-track trails, dense bush and rock scrambling, and rewards walkers with stunning views from a ridge that juts out into the Wollondilly Valley.
The Lifesaver 21 crew spent Thursday searching various areas of the national park while supporting police rescue officers and SES volunteers on the ground.
The multi-agency search resumed at 8am on Friday morning. Daily Mail can confirm the army has now joined the desperate hunt.
Mr Brideson said Lily’s family has been unable to join the search, saying ‘only authorities’ were permitted to track her last-known movements into the park.
While it’s understood police believe this is a hiking-related incident, a local bushwalker said they used to visit the park but ‘got too scared when I noticed a few unusual people and I ended up stopping’.
Lily, who turned 18 in December, is a recent graduate of Campbelltown Performing Arts High School, where she was a popular student.
She is extremely fit and, according to her public social media, returned from a Muay Thai martial arts training camp in Thailand just weeks ago, describing it as ‘epic’.
The teen had only recently returned from a Muay Thai boxing camp in Phuket
Lily turned 18 in December, sharing pictures to her public social media of her party
She is 175cm tall and described as having a slim build, with long blonde hair and blue eyes
A frantic air and land search for the missing teenager has been going since she vanished
The teenager is from a close-knit family, and regularly posts pictures of herself with her sisters and cousins.
Lily is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall and of slim build, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
She was last seen wearing a shirt and shorts.
Police are particularly keen to hear from anyone who walked the Bonnum Pic walking trail on Wednesday or who may have information about Lily’s whereabouts.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Southern Highlands Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
