Hadi Nazari, 23-year-old hiker who went missing in Kosciuszko National Park on Boxing Day, was located alive. Fellow hikers spotted him at around 3:15 PM yesterday afternoon near Blue Lake, off the circuit walk. He is now being rescued with a winch and taken in for paramedic assessment.
Nazari was last seen by friends around 2:30 PM on December 26 while descending the Hannels Spur trail in Kosciuszko National Park. After he failed to arrive at the Geehi campground as planned, his two friends, aged 23 and 24, started searching for him.
A massive search involving more than 300 personnel was conducted. On December 31, rubbish and hiking poles that were believed to belong to Nazari were discovered near the Kosciuszko River. Additional belongings, such as a campfire, lighter, camera, and camera bag, were discovered near the Geehi River on January 5.
Josh Broadfoot, the inspector of Riverina police district, also said relief was palpable when describing the brilliant end. “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.”
The Hannels Spur trail is noted to be among the most steepest ascent trails in Australia, with walkers gaining 1,800 metres of elevation.
