A young hiker who has been missing in Kosciuszko National Park for nearly two weeks has been miraculously found alive.
Hadi Nazari, 23, separated from friends to take photos along the Hannels Spur Trail between Khancoban and Thredbo in the NSW Snowy Mountains, around 2.30pm on Boxing Day.
The hiker rang his family on Wednesday to tell them he was alive and well shortly after he was found by hikers.
‘We talked to him… He is okay… He is fine,’ the family told 9News.
‘We are very happy. It is the happiest day of our lives.’
Superintendent Andrew Spliet, Riverina Police District Commander, confirmed Mr Nazari is in ‘good health’ and ‘very happy to be found and safe’.
Mr Nazari, a Melbourne neurosurgeon student, was found by hikers, who were not part of the search party, at 3:15pm around 20km from the main police command post in Geehi.
The 23-year-old identified himself as a missing hiker and told the group he was ‘thirsty’, prompting the hikers to call emergency services.
Young hiker Hadi Nazari, 23, has been found alive and well 13 days after he disappeared in NSW ‘s Kosciuszko National Park on Boxing Day
The hiker (pictured) rang his family on Wednesday to tell them he was alive and well
‘He was called out to some hikers who were in the area, he told them that he’d been lost in the bush and was thirsty. Those people then contacted emergency services,’ Supt Spliet said.
‘…He’ll be conveyed to a hospital in the area to be checked out and make sure that he is fit and in good health.
‘I can advise he’s been reunited with his family, who are very happy to have him back and very happy with the efforts from police and the other organisations who assisted in this operation.’
Supt Spliet revealed the university student had little to eat over the last two weeks.
‘One of my police at the scene had spoken to him and he, he relayed that he found a hut up there in the mountains and there were two muesli bars up there,’ he said.
‘That’s pretty much all that he’s had to consume over the last two weeks.
‘Further details about where he’s been and how he’s actually looked after himself are still yet to be determined.
‘Police will speak with him, hopefully tomorrow, just to debrief on his experience in the bush and what happened.’
Supt Spliet added Mr Nazari’s previous hiking experience and overall ‘fit’ health likely helped him survive the ordeal.
‘We really just want to find out what he’s actually done,’ he said.
‘Has he rested in the shade during the day, has he found walking tracks that he’s been able to get on?
‘…He’s done really well.’
NSW Police in an earlier statement said Mr Nazari was ‘winched from the location to the command post, where he is being assessed by paramedics’.
It’s understood Mr Nazari (pictured sitting with the hikers) was found by hikers around 20km from the main police command post in Geehi
NSW Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit and Riverina Police District officers, the SES, National Parks and Wildlife Service assisted in the search
Police on Tuesday shared a discovery which fuelled hope Mr Nazari was alive.
Searches found a camera, camera case and a lighter found beside the remnants of a small campfire on Sunday.
Riverina Police District Inspector Josh Broadfoot thanked more than 300 people who joined the search for the hiker over the past fortnight.
‘This is an incredible outcome, after 13 long days he has been located,’ he said.
‘We want to thank our emergency services partner agencies, volunteers and members of the public for their assistance.
‘We never gave up hope of finding him, and we are elated we can return him safely to his family.’
NSW Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit and Riverina Police District officers, the SES, National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Ambulance, RFS, VRA Rescue NSW, PolAir and Westpac Lifesaver all assisted in the search.
