The eight-day search for missing teenager Lily Hooper ended in heartbreak on Thursday — and then in compounded anguish — after a coded phrase used by search teams was misinterpreted, briefly leading police, the 18-year-old's family, and even the NSW Premier to believe she had been found alive before the devastating truth was confirmed.

Hooper's body was discovered at approximately 11.30am by an SES volunteer in the dense bushland of Nattai National Park in the NSW Southern Highlands, more than a week after she vanished on 12 August following a hike along the Bonnum Pic walking trail. Her car had been found at the trailhead that same evening she went missing, but her body was located a significant distance from the vehicle.

How the Lily Hooper miscommunication unfolded

According to NSW Police, the breakdown in communication stemmed from the use of a coded phrase — a term specifically used among search and rescue teams to indicate a person has been found alive. That phrase was relayed through what NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described as "a number of hands" before reaching the police command post, where it was received as confirmation that Hooper had survived.

Family and friends gathered at the command post began celebrating. Within eight to ten minutes, however, a second code word — indicating the person had been found deceased — was transmitted. By then, the false information had already spread well beyond the command post.

"Her condition at that time was such that searchers were relieved, and certainly those at the command post relayed," Commissioner Lanyon told reporters. He said the miscommunication was "born out of elation that Lily had been found."

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar confirmed the sequence of events, saying the family had been informed of the initial — and incorrect — belief that Hooper was alive, with the more accurate update following within minutes.

"[The family] were informed [of] initial information the searchers believed she was alive, and that's what was communicated," Cassar said. "Within eight-to-ten minutes we were able to give them an update, which was a more accurate account."

Commissioner Lanyon offered an "unreserved" apology to Hooper's family for the additional trauma caused. "I unashamedly apologise for any additional trauma that may have caused Lily's family, but certainly for the embarrassment and confusion that caused," he said. "Tragically, that miscommunication then led to a deflation, and obviously we know now an impact on her family."

Premier and federal leaders respond

The false information reached the highest levels of government. NSW Premier Chris Minns was informed during budget estimates proceedings in state parliament that Hooper had been found, and announced to the committee that she was alive. He was forced to return to the chamber shortly afterwards to correct the record.

"I apologise to the committee, but it seems as if the early advice was wrong," the Premier said. "This is obviously devastating, and I'm just profoundly sad for her family and all those concerned."

In a subsequent statement, Minns said he had received incorrect advice and had "genuinely believed I was sharing good news." He added: "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."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Hooper in federal parliament, saying she had been "taken from her family, the community and our nation far too young" and that her death was "an unspeakable tragedy." Members of parliament observed a moment of silence following his remarks.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor, whose electorate includes the area where Hooper's body was found, said the initial confusion had compounded the tragedy. "Lily loved bushwalking, and that only compounds the tragedy of her death," he said, also thanking all those who had taken part in the search.

A family's devastating wait — and a coronial inquest ahead

The depth of the family's hope on Thursday makes the eventual news all the more harrowing. Lily's father, Jim Hooper, had brought his daughter's guitar and her favourite chocolate — Tim Tams — to the command post, preparing to welcome her back. Her mother, Kirrily, had washed her hair and worn her best sneakers ahead of what the family believed would be a joyful reunion.

"I was never going to give up. She's a beautiful girl," Jim said.

Hooper, who was from Oakdale in Sydney's south-west, had last been in contact with her family on 12 August when she sent a photo from the summit of the Bonnum Pic trail. She did not return home that evening and could not be reached by mobile phone, prompting an extensive and prolonged search effort through challenging terrain.

In a statement earlier in the week, her family said they were "absolutely devastated" and urged the public to keep them in their thoughts while also requesting privacy as they faced what they described as an "unimaginable situation."

A coronial inquest has been confirmed and is expected to examine both the circumstances of Hooper's death and the manner in which false information came to be spread through search and rescue teams — a police investigation process that will likely prompt a review of communication protocols used in major search operations across the state.