We’re Going to Find Her Today – Missing Teen Lily Hooper’s Father Makes Desperate Plea as Search Focuses on Isolated Trail
The father of a hiker missing in bushland near Sydney said he is joining the search for his daughter and called for people to continue to hope for her safe return.
Lily Hooper, 18, was last seen leaving a home on Burragorang Road at Oakdale in Sydney’s south-west at 8am on Wednesday.
Lily Hooper, 18, was last seen leaving a home on Burragorang Road at Oakdale in Sydney’s south-west. NSW Police
The teenager, an experienced bushwalker, told people she was going for a hike in the Nattai National Park.
She had her mobile but authorities have been unable to contact her since and she has not returned.
Her father, Jim Hooper, spoke to 2SM Radio on Monday, saying he was preparing to join the search for Lily as it enters it fifth day.
“I’m Lily Hooper’s dad, and I just wanted to bring up, I’m very upset,” he said after calling in to the radio station.
“I want to just project positive energy and love, and we’re going to find her today.
“I’m going back down there now, just putting my boots on. I just want everyone to throw love and energy, because we’ve got to go and find her.
“We’ve got to find this kid.”
He admitted he was at a loss to figure out why Lily has gone missing.
“It’s like she’s just been vanished off the planet, I don’t know. I just can’t make it out,” Hooper said.
“Normally they’d find something… I mean, she’s a tough kid, she’s a tough girl, that’s why I can’t understand why she didn’t come out.
“It is a very rough terrain down there… it is very cold.”
Emergency services will continue to search for the teenager. 9News
He added that he believed his daughter took food with her, but potentially did not expect the trail she went on to be as difficult as it may have been.
Hooper praised the work of police who have been leading the search.
NSW Police acting inspector Benjamin Carey said on Sunday they are looking at a certain trail.
“It’s been challenging, obviously the weather is becoming more inclement,” Carey said.
“There is a specific trail that we’re focusing in on. However, there’s numerous side trails that run off it.
“The terrain out there is extremely rugged, very large escarpments, gorges, thick vegetation, creeks – very challenging for our search teams.
“We’re very hopeful that Lily is still alive and we’re focusing our efforts on searching for her today.”
Fresh teams have been at the park since 7am looking for any sign of the missing teen.
Temperatures in the area have dropped to as low as 4 degrees Celsius, but it’s felt as cold as -3C.
The area has also been impacted by rain, with up to five millimetres expected to fall on Monday.
While the rain held off on Saturday, showers are forecast for the week ahead.
The teenager’s vehicle was found on Friday near the Bonnum Pic Walking Trail on Wanganderry Road via Wombeyan Caves Road in High Range.
She was last seen wearing a shirt and shorts.
She is white, about 175cm tall, of slim build with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information or who may have been on the Bonnum Pic track should contact Crime Stoppers.
