Police commissioner apologises to family mistakenly told missing hiker was alive

New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb has issued a formal apology to the family of missing bushwalker Lily Hooper after a devastating communication failure led relatives to believe she had been located alive. The apology follows the official confirmation that search crews in the NSW Southern Highlands recovered a body on Friday afternoon, ending an arduous eight-day operation.

The logistical error occurred during the final stages of the search in the rugged terrain near the Southern Highlands, where a breakdown in internal messaging resulted in the family being provided with inaccurate information regarding her status. While the search involved hundreds of personnel and specialist resources, this administrative lapse has cast a shadow over the recovery efforts and intensified the family’s distress during an already harrowing week.

“The integrity of police communication is the bedrock of public trust, but when that system fails in moments of profound grief, the damage to a family’s spirit is immeasurable.”

An internal investigation into the source of the erroneous report is now underway to ensure such a failure is not repeated in future missing persons cases. A report is currently being prepared for the Coroner, and the local community continues to offer support to the Hooper family as they navigate this profound loss.