A probe has been launched into a catastrophic communications failure which meant a missing girl was declared alive just before she was confirmed dead.
Lily Hooper, an 18-year-old from Sydney, had been missing for eight days when New South Wales Premier Chris Minns wrongly announced she had been found alive and well.
Police told her family the same, with footage showing her family and friends celebrating and toasting in tears.
Her father Jim said he "was never going to give up", adding: "She's a beautiful girl and she's coming home."
Her mother Kirrily said she had washed her hair and "put my good sneakers on" in anticipation of good news.
But just 10 minutes later, she was confirmed dead after her body was discovered in the Australian bush.
At the heart of the blunder was a misunderstood code phrase - "half a bottle of water" - which was relayed up the chain of command and then broadcast nationally by the Premier.
A State Emergency Service (SES) worker had initially told police that 18-year-old Lily was alive in Nattai National Park, but this was never verified before being passed to her family.
Search crews found a body deep in the national park shortly after 11am.
As the incorrect report that Lily was alive spread outward, officers told her parents she had been found, but her condition was still being assessed.
A note was passed to Mr Minns during a televised parliamentary hearing at 12.11pm.
Mr Minns said during the parliamentary hearing: "Lily Hooper has been found alive. Found in the bush with half a bottle of water with her."
His announcement sparked celebrations across the state, but just before 1pm, Mr Minns withdrew his statement and confirmed Lily was dead.
He issued a formal apology a few minutes later, accepting full responsibility for compounding the family's anguish.
SES sources explained to News.com.au that "water bottle" references serve as a coded language to protect families at search locations.
READ MORE FROM AUSTRALIA:
- Australian mushroom murderer set to return to court in bid to overturn convictions
- Australian MP left 'fearing for England' after witnessing 'rude awakening' in multicultural London
- British couple face life in prison after being caught in multi-million-pound Australian drug sting
"It tends to be agreed at a search between cops, who are the lead, and the searches, that terminology is used so as not to distress anyone who might be in ear shot," a source said.
"It could be a full bottle, meaning someone is alive, or a bottle found intact, or a half-full bottle or an empty bottle meaning someone is deceased.
"We certainly don't want to be saying things like 'someone is found deceased' over the airwaves."
Senior figures from NSW Police and the SES now face mounting pressure to explain the error.
An investigation will scrutinise the exact wording relayed from field teams to police and why it was accepted as fact before rescuers had physically confirmed Lily's condition.
Assistant Commissioner Joseph Cassar confirmed the "eight to 10 minute" window during which Lily's parents believed their daughter was alive.
"If I could turn the clock back, I would certainly I can't provide a comment with regards to that. I don't think it would be fair to the investigation," he said.
"I can tell you, the police that were in charge at the time that spoke to Lily's mum and dad certainly hoped for a more positive outcome," he added.
He denied that police had acted prematurely in sharing the information.
"When we talk about very short window I don't believe we have jumped the gun but that will form information provided to the coroner."
He pointed to the harsh terrain and the difficulty of communicating across hundreds of volunteers using handheld devices.
"Sometimes the communication is a challenge," he said.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
