7 January 2025

'We're still detecting items of interest': Hope remains as hundreds search for missing Kosciuszko hiker

| Chris Roe
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Missing hiker

The search continues for missing hiker Hadi Nazari (inset). Photo: NSW Police.

Authorities remain “very hopeful” as the extensive multiagency search for missing hiker Hadi Nazari continues through dense bushland in the remote Geehi area in the Kosciuszko National Park.

A small campfire was found on Sunday (5 January) along with several items that were confirmed to belong to the 23-year-old Melbourne University student.

Mr Nazari was last seen by friends on Boxing Day and NSW Police confirmed that the operation would continue until they were “satisfied”.

Riverina District Police Superintendent Andrew Spliet said Mr Nazari was equipped with a tent and sleeping bag and that expert advice on survivability was promising due to the potential access to water.

“That’s the reason why we’re still out here. We’re still actively engaged. All of our partner agencies who are assisting us have got people out there that are really keen to get a resolution with this for the families,” he said.

“He’s got a history of hiking around the place, so he’s aware of these surroundings, and he has got some capability to protect himself from the elements.”

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NSW Police established a command post on 27 December and teams from the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and State Emergency Service (SES) have joined NSW and Victorian police to scour the terrain.

“Since the commencement of the search operation we’ve had up to 300 people in total in the field conducting searches,” said Supt Spliet.

“We’ve also had NSW police and volunteers on horseback. We’ve had police dogs, search dogs, and VRA dogs out there as well.

“We’ve had air assets that have been up there looking around for the missing person, as well as winching people in so very, very comfortable that we’ve got sufficient capability and capacity to continue with the search.

“The terrain is very dense, a lot of thick bushland and growth, and also very steep, so it’s quite uncomfortable for the searchers.”

Specialist bushwalkers from VRA Rescue NSW on the ground in Kosciuszko National Park.

Specialist bushwalkers from VRA Rescue NSW on the ground in Kosciuszko National Park. Photo: VRA Rescue.

Supt Spliet said the discovery of rubbish and hiking poles on New Year’s Eve and further items as recently as Sunday (5 January) had helped to focus the search.

“We found a fire scene, a little campfire, as well as a lighter in a camera case and a camera that belongs to Mr Nazari,” he confirmed.

“We’re making some inquiries in relation to trying to determine how long ago that little campfire was lit and that’ll give us … some type of timeline to when he was last in that specific area.”

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Supt Spliet said several of Mr Nazari’s family members from Melbourne had been assisting in the search and that morale remained high despite the duration and challenges of the search.

“We’ve got a great bunch of people here that are very supportive. They’re very actively engaged. We’ve had some minor injuries with people as well being out there in the bush hiking around, but we’ve got a lot of really good people out there that are very confident and very upbeat about the tasks given to them,” he said.

“We’re still detecting items of interest that belong to him and I think that’s a real credit and shows how thorough the search it has been, that we’re actually locating those very, very small items in such a large, dense bushland.”

Original Article published by Chris Roe on Region Riverina.

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There are over 300 multi agency officers including elite search crews and volunteers searching for this young man and I sincerely hope he is found safe and well. An enormous and emotional effort on foot, vehicle, horseback, plane and in helicopters.

We are surrounded by beautiful national parks. The amount of undergrowth is just enormous, particularly after the bushfires. The vastness of such terrains, their remoteness and volatility poses risks for even the most experienced bushwalkers.

For rookies or enthusiasts contemplating a walk in the bush or going off the grid for a few days, there is any amount of safety equipment for sale on ebay. Safety locator beacon costs start at $158 including postage. They are essential.

Keep safe!

Michael Pless1:45 pm 08 Jan 25

Agreed, re the safety beacon. I didn’t know they were so cheap – I paid a little over twice that for my basic one – so there ought to be no excuse for not having one. A campaign to encourage purchasing one might well reap considerable (financial) future savings. Fishermen, sailors, bushwalkers, skiers, even amateur landscape photographers (like me), and so forth.

ChrisinTurner3:18 pm 07 Jan 25

The cost of this search alone would be enough to lend every walker/camper a survival beacon.

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