A missing hiker has been miraculously found alive in Australia’s Snowy Mountains, two weeks after he disappeared.
On December 26, medical student Hadi Nazari set out on a challenging route through the Mount Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, planning to meet his friends at a nearby campsite after its completion.
When the 23-year-old failed to show, Nazari’s concerned friends alerted the authorities, who launched a multi-agency effort to track him down.
For the past two weeks, officials from the New South Wales Police, National Parks and Wildlife Service, State Emergency Service, and New South Wales Ambulance have been desperately searching for Nazari.
Scouring the area with the help of a helicopter, efforts had been largely unsuccessful until New Year's Eve, when Nazari’s hiking poles were discovered in a dense backcountry area.
Following the discovery, search efforts remained unsuccessful until January 8, when the exhausted young man was miraculously found alive. Despite the extensive search effort, Nazari wasn’t found by officials but by a group of amateur hikers, who he’d spotted and approached for help.
Nazari was then winched into a helicopter and flown to safety by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. He is currently in hospital, recovering and surrounded by his relieved family.
Trekking through more than six miles / 10km from his original position, Nazari survived for two weeks off nearby berries, creek water, and two muesli bars he’d found in an abandoned hut, according to Riverina Police District Commander Andrew Spliet.
“That’s pretty much all that he’s had to consume over the last two weeks. So the further details about where he’s been and how he’s actually looked after himself are still yet to be determined,” Spliet told reporters.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service has released helicopter footage of the team reaching Nazari's position after the hikers found him.
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Covering 2.3 square miles (6 km2), the Mount Kosciuszko National Park is well known for its stunning scenery and challenging hiking trails. Located in Australia’s rugged Snowy Mountains, the area is particularly treacherous in Australia’s summer months, when temperatures soar to sweltering highs upwards of 86°F / 30°C.
“This is an incredible outcome - after 13 long days he has been located. We want to thank our emergency services partner agencies, volunteers, and members of the public for their assistance,” said New South Wales Riverina Police District Inspector Josh Broadfoot in a statement.
“We never gave up hope of finding him.”
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