Lily Hooper search: Dad’s vow in search for teen hiker in NSW

The father of missing hiker Lily Hooper has made an emotional appeal amid a major search for the teen.

There has been no trace of the experienced bushwalker, 18, since she vanished in the NSW Southern Highlands area on Wednesday.

As 2SM host Tim Webster took calls on Monday, a tearful man who identified as Hooper’s father phoned in to ask for love and energy from the community.

“We’re going to find her today. I’m going back there now. I’m just putting my boots on,” he said.

“I just want everyone to throw love and energy because we’ve got to go and find her. We’ve got to find this kid.

The father urged everyone to “cross their fingers and hope we find her today because it’s getting too long”.

“It’s like she’s just ... vanished off the planet. I don’t know. I just can’t make it out. Normally they’d find something — I don’t want to think of the worst,” he said.

Hooper left her home in Oakdale about 8am on Wednesday to go hiking in Nattai National Park .

It is understood she reached the summit of Bonnum Pic about mid-morning and had messaged loved ones while on the trail.

She was reported missing when she had not returned home by 10pm that night.

Her car was found parked on Wanganderry Rd, near the start of the trail about an hour later.

“Unfortunately we have not located Lily or any items belonging to Lily,” chief inspector Brendan Bernie told media on Monday, as the extensive search involving specialist police, air wing, the SES, RFS and VRA Rescue continued.

A weekend of poor weather had hampered already challenging conditions for search teams.

Authorities say there is no evidence of foul play and cautioned that speculation along those lines “does cause undue distress to the family and friends of Lily”.