Family of missing Aussie hiker Lily Hooper, 18, speak out as desperate search for the teenager reaches its sixth day

The family of an 18-year-old who disappeared on a hike have thanked everyone working ‘desperately’ to bring her home safe.

Lily Hooper, 18, vanished on Wednesday after setting off for a hike in a national park in the NSW Southern Highlands.

The experienced hiker was last seen leaving her parents’ home on Burragorang Road at Oakdale, south-west of Sydney, at about 8am and her car was found by searchers on Wanganderry Road about 11pm.

She told others she planned to go hiking but has not been seen or heard from since.

In a statement released by NSW Police on Tuesday, the family said they were ‘absolutely devastated that our beloved daughter Lily is missing’.

‘We would like to thank all the emergency services and volunteers for their support and continued commitment to the search, not only during the day but throughout the night,’ they said.

‘We desperately want to bring Lily home safe and we ask as the search continues, to keep our family and Lily in your thoughts.

‘We appreciate people who have made offers for the search but due to the terrain and conditions we ask just professional search teams continue.

‘We also ask for privacy and understanding as our family navigates this unimaginable situation.’

The sixth day of searching kicked off on Tuesday morning with NSW Police, NSW SES and the Lifesaver 21 rescue helicopter crew all involved in the operation. 

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’. 

Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina told the Daily Mail police will be investigating every aspect of Lily’s life as they search for her – including the chance of foul play.

‘They will be throwing everything at it, as best they can, until a decision is made when they feel like they’ve exhausted the search. It will then become a recovery mission, not a location one,’ Mr Bezzina said.

‘Police will go where the evidence takes them; if a person has willingly gone to disappear, they make it difficult to be found. And if there’s any foul play involved – when I was doing investigations, I would say to myself, “Why would someone want to kill this person?”‘

Mr Bezzina said searching through bush terrain is incredibly difficult.

‘Even if she has succumbed to the elements, or has become injured, it’s very difficult for police to find evidence as a lot of wild animals in the bush are attracted to that,’ he said.

‘Police will be getting advice from survival experts on what’s the likelihood of survivability for a human in the bush, with no food or water. They know that the buck stops with them and they’re the ones who have to give answers to her family.’

More to come…