An Australian student who went missing for a fortnight near the country’s highest mountain was found on Wednesday after surviving by foraging for berries, drinking water from a stream and finding two granola bars left behind by other hikers, police said.
Hadi Nazari, a 23-year-old university student from Melbourne, went missing on December 26, 2024 in Kosciuszko National Park with his group of friends.
He was found on the afternoon of January 8 by a group of hikers who alerted authorities, New South Wales State Police said.
New South Wales Police Inspector Josh Broadfoot said:
“This is the 14th day we’ve been looking for him and for him to come out and be in such good spirits and in such great condition, it’s incredible.”
The student was in “very good spirits” and was not seriously injured, he added.
Police said more than 300 people searched for Nazari in the rugged bushland. The national park is home to the 2,228-metre-high Kosciuszko Mountain.
