NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has apologised for the miscommunication that led missing hiker Lily Hooper’s family to believe she had been found alive.
The eight-day search for the 18-year-old came to a tragic end on Thursday morning when her body was found following an extensive search of the NSW Southern Highlands.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: NSW Police Commissioner speaks about discovery of Lily Hooper
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Police initially told the media Hooper had been found alive, before correcting the information a short time later and confirming she had died.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Lanyon offered an “unreserved” apology for the error.
“I unashamedly apologise for any additional trauma that may have caused Lily’s family, but certainly for the embarrassment and confusion that caused,” Lanyon said.
“The miscommunication obviously was born out of elation that Lily had been found, and her condition at that time was such that searchers were relieved, and certainly those at the command post relayed.
“Tragically, that miscommunication then led to a deflation, and obviously we know now an impact on her family.
“Once again, I unreservedly apologise for that miscommunication.”
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has apologised for the miscommunication. Credit: 7NEWS Earlier, Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar said an SES volunteer had found Hooper.
Hooper’s father Jim Hooper had brought her guitar and favourite chocolate — Tim Tams — to the search efforts on Thursday in hopes of finding the 18-year-old alive.
“I was never going to give up. She’s a beautiful girl,” Jim said.
Her mother Kirrily had washed her hair and worn her good sneakers as they thought they were finding their daughter alive.
Then the news came to the search command post that Hooper had been found alive and family members began celebrating, even making a toast.
However, the information was corrected a short time later when it was confirmed Hooper had been found dead.
Family members after finding out Hooper was dead. Credit: 7NEWS Cassar said the correction came within eight to 10 minutes, while The Daily Telegraph reported the family was told she had died about 18 minutes after receiving the initial news.
Lanyon said it was likely a police commander who shared the initial news with Hooper’s family.
“I don’t know personally who informed, but I assume it would have been a police commander who had been working closely with her family,” he said.
“One of the terrible things about these sort of searches is there is a close bond formed between commanders and families.
“I would assume that the commander would have spoken to the family.”
Lily Hooper went missing last Wednesday. Credit: NSW Police Lanyon said the inadvertent miscommunication then travelled through police command, was passed on to the government and ultimately reported widely.
He said the search had been “high profile”, which may have contributed to the information being relayed so quickly to NSW Premier Chris Minns.
Minns, who was appearing at Budget Estimates at NSW Parliament, announced that Hooper had been found alive before correcting the statement a short time later.
“I apologise to the committee, but it seems as if the early advice was wrong,” Minns said.
“This is obviously devastating and I’m just profoundly sad for her family and all those concerned.”
Minns later issued a statement apologising again for sharing the incorrect information.
“I genuinely believed I was sharing good news,” he said.
“My deepest condolences are with Lily’s family. I am profoundly sorry to think that anything I said may have added to their heartbreak at an already devastating time.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns during budget estimates. Credit: 7NEWS Lanyon said the circumstances surrounding the miscommunication would be reviewed.
“The location where Lily was found was remote. It was communicated via a communication device to the command post, and it may well have passed a number of hands,” he said.
It is believed a misused code word was communicated via radio to base camp.
“We will obviously look at that communication, how it took place, with a review to making sure that we confirm that,” he said.
Cassar attributed the error to communication difficulties in the thick and dense terrain, where hundreds of searchers were using handheld communication devices.
“So just to put it in context, the area is thick, dense terrain,” he said.
“We’ve got hundreds of searchers out there.
“They’re carrying handheld communication devices and, as you can appreciate, we’ve all experienced it — sometimes communication is a challenge.”
Devastated friends and family after finding out Hooper was found dead. Credit: 7NEWS Cassar said if he could “turn the clock back”, it would have been handled in a different way.
“If we were able to provide them more detailed information on that first report, I can tell you that would have been the case,” he said.
“But unfortunately, it did take that small period of time for us to give them an update.”
Police were still working on Thursday afternoon to retrieve her body from the difficult terrain, with Cassar saying it would likely need to be carried out on foot.