A young Australian student, 23-year-old Hadi Hazari, has been miraculously found alive after surviving for nearly two weeks in the wilderness of Kosciuszko National Park.
Hazari had vanished the day after Christmas when he became separated from his two friends during a hiking trip in the bushlands of New South Wales.
Hazari’s ordeal began on December 26, when he and his friends, aged 23 and 24, decided to split up with plans to reunite at a campground later. However, when Hazari failed to appear, his friends grew concerned and conducted a search. What began as a small-scale effort quickly expanded into a massive multiagency operation involving more than 300 rescuers and volunteers.
As days passed, search teams discovered items believed to belong to Hazari. On New Year’s Eve, trash and hiking poles were found near a river. Days later, a campfire, a lighter, a camera, and a camera bag were uncovered.
Finally, on Wednesday, a group of hikers passing through the area heard faint calls for help. Joshua Dart, one of the hikers, described the moment they discovered Hazari: “My mate James looked down toward the shouting, and we shouted back. We heard him saying, ‘I need help.’” Dart recalled recognizing Hazari’s name from missing person alerts but admitted their group hadn’t been actively searching for him.
When they reached Hazari, he appeared disoriented, thinking only seven days had passed since his disappearance.
Hazari sustained himself on water from a creek, berries he foraged in the mountains, and two muesli bars he discovered in a hut left behind by previous hikers.
New South Wales Police Inspector Josh Broadfoot described Hazari’s rescue as “an incredible outcome.” Speaking to reporters, Broadfoot noted that Hazari was “in such good spirits” and “in great condition” given the circumstances. Paramedics assessed him at the search base camp, where emotional scenes unfolded as his family embraced him amidst cheers from rescuers and onlookers.
Hazari’s resourcefulness and resilience were widely praised. “He really had good survival instincts,” said Dart, emphasizing the young hiker’s ability to endure such harsh conditions.
