A 23-year-old hiker, who had been missing for nearly two weeks in Kosciuszko National Park, has been found safe.
Hadi Nazari was last seen by friends on Thursday, 26 December 2024, around 2.30pm, while descending the Hannels Spur Trail, located between Khancoban and Thredbo.
He was expected to meet up with his two friends at the Geehi campground, but when he failed to arrive, the pair began searching for him. By 8.45pm that evening, the Riverina Police District was alerted, and search efforts commenced immediately.
The next day, on 27 December, a command post was set up, and a multi-agency search operation was launched. This involved several groups, including Goulburn Police Rescue, National Parks and Wildlife Service, SES, RFS, NSW Ambulance, VRA, and PolAir.
On Tuesday, 31 December, hiking poles and rubbish, believed to belong to the missing hiker, were discovered near the Kosciuszko River, which became the focal point of the search. On 5 January, further items, including a campfire, lighter, and a camera, were found near the Geehi River.
After 13 days of relentless searching by more than 300 people, the hiker was located by hikers off the circuit walk near Blue Lake at around 3.15pm.
The Melbourne medical student was safely taken to the command post and assessed by paramedics.
Riverina Police District Inspector Josh Broadfoot expressed gratitude to all those involved in the search. “This is an incredible outcome. We want to thank our emergency services partner agencies, volunteers, and the public for their support. We never gave up hope, and we are overjoyed to bring him safely back to his family,” he said.
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