The family of an experienced hiker who vanished on a solo trek in the Snowy Mountains last week is holding onto hope as an intensive search stretches into its sixth day.
Hadi Nazari, who turned 24 on Tuesday, was last seen by friends on Boxing Day as they descended the challenging Hannels Spur Trail at Geehi, a remote area of Kosciuszko National Park between the towns of Khancoban and Thredbo.
When he failed to arrive as expected at their planned campsite along the Geehi River that evening, his two hiking companions, both 23 and 24 years old, began to search and notified authorities.
Multi-Agency Search Underway
Police immediately launched a search that night, with a larger scale effort kicking off the next morning involving Goulburn Police Rescue, Riverina Police District officers, National Parks rangers, SES volunteers, and the Volunteer Rescue Association.
Helicopters with infrared capability have scoured the rugged terrain from above in hopes of spotting any sign of Nazari. But after nearly a week, no trace has been found of the missing Sydney man in the vast wilderness.
Sister’s Anguish: “I Pray to God He Comes Back”
As each day passes, Nazari’s family is becoming increasingly fearful for his safety alone in the elements. His sister Zahra Nazari told Channel Nine’s Today Show that not being able to see or speak to her brother for so many days has been “the biggest trauma” of her life.
“It’s a remote area. There might be other insects, or [there] could be animals as well, which is a threat to him. [I] just want to go outside and scream, you know. I just look at his pictures all the time. I pray to God he comes back, he comes back soon.”
– Zahra Nazari, sister of missing hiker
Police say the missing man is an experienced hiker believed to be carrying camping gear and dressed appropriately for the conditions. But concerns are growing as overnight temperatures in the high country dip near freezing.
Not the First to Go Missing in the Snowy Mountains
Nazari’s disappearance is an eerie echo of a similar incident just last October, when 48-year-old Lovisa Sjoberg became stranded while hiking the same trail. After enduring nearly a week exposed to the elements, she was miraculously found alive, but suffering from dehydration, a rolled ankle, and a snake bite.
“She was pretty fortunate to be alive,” a police commander remarked at the time – words the Nazari family can only hope will soon ring true for them as well, as they wait in anguish for any word on Hadi’s fate.
As the search resumes each dawn, emergency services and the Nazari family are asking anyone who may have information to come forward. In a vast sea of wilderness, any small clue could make the difference in bringing this lost hiker home to his loved ones, who can only watch, wait, and pray.
