The body of 18-year-old Lily Hooper has been found in bushland in New South Wales, Australia, eight days after she went missing during a hike in Nattai National Park.

🇳🇬 Here's What Happened

Hooper left her home in Sydney on August 12 to go for a walk in the national park but failed to return by 22:00 that night, prompting her family to report her missing.

A large multi-agency search was launched, involving NSW Police, the State Emergency Service, the Rural Fire Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service and Australian Defence Force personnel.

According to the BBC on Thursday, Police said Hooper’s body was located at about 11:30 local time on Thursday in dense bushland in the Southern Highlands. It was yet to be formally identified, but police said they believed it was that of the missing teenager.

📌 Key Details

The discovery was followed by confusion after New South Wales Premier Chris Minns initially told parliament that Hooper had been found alive.

“I’ve got some terrible news. I apologise … Lily’s body has been found,” Minns later told parliament after correcting his earlier statement.

Minns apologised for the error, saying: “This is obviously devastating, and I’m profoundly sad for her family and for all those concerned.”

He later said he had received incorrect information and had “genuinely believed” he was sharing good news.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon also apologised to Hooper’s family for the miscommunication.

“The miscommunication obviously was born out of elation that Lily had been found,” Lanyon said.

📰 Source: Punch Nigeria