Family and friends help search for missing 18yo bushwalker

The search for 18-year-old bushwalker Lily Hooper has entered its sixth day, with authorities intensifying efforts to find her in the rugged terrain of Nattai National Park in New South Wales.

“

We're just desperately trying to find Lily.

Police deployed a thermal-imaging helicopter overnight and are meticulously examining telecommunications data in a bid to retrace Ms. Hooper's last known movements. Her car was discovered near the Bonnum Pic Walking Trail, but extensive multi-agency searches that began Wednesday evening have yielded no trace of the experienced hiker.

“

We've also got Lily's family and friends with us, some assisting with the search and some are at the command post. They're doing remarkably well for people in their situation.

Chief Inspector Brendan Bernie stated that search crews, supported by various emergency services including the NSW Police Air Wing, Rural Fire Service, and State Emergency Service, continued their efforts throughout the weekend. He expressed the desperate hope of finding Lily, noting that her family and friends are also assisting with the search and providing support at the command post.

“

We're also revisiting the telecommunications information that might be able to provide us a little bit of extra information. We suspect Lily had her phone with her and hopefully that might provide some information if that can be activated. But unfortunately, that's been pretty stale since Wednesday.

Authorities are particularly focused on telecommunications information, suspecting Ms. Hooper had her mobile phone with her. However, Chief Inspector Bernie noted that this data has been largely inactive since Wednesday. The challenging conditions, including thick vegetation and hilly terrain, are significantly complicating search operations, hindering aerial support and ground efforts.

“

Even as late as last night we had our thermal imaging helicopter in the air trying to find her.