[A 23-year-old hiker has been found alive in Australian wilderness after a nearly two-week search. Hadi Nazari was last seen by friends on December 26 as he walked down a trail to take photos in Kosciuszko National Park, south of Sydney in New South Wales. When he failed to return to their campsite, his friends notified police, who began an intensive search involving 300 people from multiple rescue agencies.
Nazari was found by a group of hikers near a trail, about 10 kilometers from the search command post, on January 8. He called out to them and disclosed his identity, saying he had been lost in the bush for two weeks. He was then winched into a helicopter and transported to the command post, where he was examined by paramedics. He appeared to be in good health and had lost only a few pounds during his ordeal, but had found two granola bars at an abandoned hut. Nazari was reunited with his family, who described it as the “happiest day of our lives”.
The search efforts were led by the NSW Police, with the help of rescue agencies and volunteers. The search was marked by signs of Nazari, including garbage and his hiking poles, and a campfire, lighter, and camera on Sunday, which suggested he was close by. The searchers faced challenging conditions, with summer temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius, but were reassured by the presence of water in the area. Inspector Josh Broadfoot thanked emergency services for their efforts, saying, “This is an incredible outcome – after 13 long days he has been located. We never gave up hope of finding him.”
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