The family of Lily Hooper, an 18-year-old who died after becoming lost during a solo day hike in Nattai National Park, is calling for a new law — dubbed "Lily's Law" — to make bush safety education and emergency tracking devices standard practice for young Australians venturing into the wilderness.

Lily set off on a trail in the New South Wales national park on August 12 for what was planned as a day walk. Her body was recovered on Thursday after an exhausting eight-day search operation. The discovery brought a painful end to the search that had gripped the nation.

The push for Lily's Law

Her father, Jim Hooper, and stepmother Kirrily are now channelling their grief into advocacy, pushing for a legislative legacy in their daughter's name — one aimed at ensuring young people are better prepared before entering remote bushland.

"We think it'd be good if there was a legacy that was left like a Skye's Law, Jack's Law … Lily's Law," Jim said, drawing comparisons to other tribute laws that have reshaped safety standards in Australia.

At the heart of the proposal is a call for greater awareness and use of emergency locator technology. Jim specifically referenced EPIRBs, Garmin and Navman-type tracker devices as tools that could make the critical difference for hikers who become lost or injured in remote terrain.

"That's about the awareness of going out in the bush with EPIRBs, tracker devices, Garmin, Navman-type devices," he said.

A father's grief — and a warning about bush conditions

Jim Hooper walked the same track his daughter had taken and came away with a clearer — though still heartbreaking — picture of what may have unfolded in her final hours.

"I did walk the track, it's a hectic track, I was surprised she took it on," he said. "I think it was on dark and she got disorientated and she headed in a direction that she didn't walk in on. Like I said, the bush can swallow you up."

Jim also reflected on conversations he had tried to have with Lily about bush safety before her death — conversations, he said, that were met with the confidence common to many teenagers.

"I locked horns with her about this sort of stuff, which saddens me in a lot of ways, because there was a lot of 'what do you know, dad' stuff, and you know, kids think they know better," he said.

The account echoes a broader pattern seen in earlier developments during the search for Lily, which had been marked by agonising uncertainty for the family and emergency services alike.

Some closure amid unimaginable loss

Despite the devastating outcome, Jim said the family had found a measure of solace in knowing what happened to their daughter, rather than being left without answers.

"Out of the three scenarios of getting her back alive, getting her back [deceased] and then not getting her back, we got the middle one," he said. "Not ideal, but at least we got her back."

Lily had worked as a tour guide at BridgeClimb in Sydney, and her family is urging NSW Premier Chris Minns to fly the flag at half-mast in her honour.

Government responds to family's requests

Deputy Premier Prue Car acknowledged the family's pain and indicated the government was taking their requests seriously.

"I think everyone's heart has broken watching what's happened over the past week," she said. "We'll be working with the family and we'll have something to say about that shortly."

As Australians reflect on the tragedy — part of a year marked by significant national events in Australia — the Hooper family's push for Lily's Law has given voice to wider concerns about how communities educate young people on the real dangers of remote bushwalking.