brisbane, australia
CNN
—
The 23-year-old hiker responsible for the disappearance has been found alive after nearly two weeks of land and air searches in Australia’s dense wilderness, authorities said Wednesday.
Hadi Nazari was last seen by friends on December 26 as she walked along a path to take photos in Kosciuszko National Park, south of Sydney, New South Wales.
When he failed to return to his campsite, his friends called police, who launched an intensive search involving 300 people from multiple rescue agencies, NSW Police said in a statement.
As it turned out, Nazari was not found by a search party, but by a group of hikers near a trail about 10 kilometers from the search command post at around 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8.
“My understanding is that there was a group of hikers in the area,” Riverina Police District Commander Superintendent Andrew Spriet told reporters. “He called out to them, revealed who he was and said he was lost in the bushes.”
Video released by the NSW Rural Fire Service showed Nazari and other hikers waiting for rescuers to airlift him out.
He was then hoisted into a helicopter and taken to a command post, where he was examined by paramedics.
Supreet said Nazari appeared to be in “very good health.” Nazari told rescuers he found two granola bars in the abandoned hut, but “that’s about all the granola bars we’ve had to consume in the last two weeks,” Spuriett said.
“He has been reunited with his family and they are very, very happy to have him back,” he said.
Nazari’s family told CNN affiliate 9 News that it was “the happiest day of my life.”
“We talked to him…he’s okay…he’s fine,” his family said, according to the network.
During the search last week, traces of Nazari were found, including trash and hiking poles. And on Sunday, a campfire, lighter and camera believed to belong to the missing hiker suggested he might be nearby.
Kosciuszko National Park covers an area of 6 square kilometers (2.3 square miles) in New South Wales. Popular with hikers for its challenging trails and stunning views.
Although summer temperatures have caused sweltering conditions for the past two weeks, searchers were reassured by the presence of water in the area where Nazari went missing.
NSW Riverina Police District Inspector Josh Broadfoot thanked emergency services for their efforts.
“This is an incredible result. After 13 long days, he has been located. I would like to thank our emergency service partner agencies, volunteers and the public for their support,” he said. .
“We never gave up hope of finding him.”
