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EXCLUSIVE: The “miracle” encounter while hiking that saved a missing person’s life

Ty helped rescue a hiker who spent two weeks missing in the bush.
Hadi Nazari and the Polair rescuers who saved him.

While photographing the beauty of Kosciuszko National Park on a Boxing Day hiking trip up the Hannels Spur trail, Hadi Nazari was separated from his friends and became lost.

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The 23-year-old from Melbourne spent the next 14 days battling sweltering heat and harsh terrain in the Snowy Mountains region of NSW, surviving on fresh water from a creek and two muesli bars he found in a hut.

GLIMMERS OF HOPE

Ty and his friends waited with Hadi for rescue crews. (Image: Ty Paros)

After he was reported missing by friends, an army of more than 300 emergency services workers, volunteers from the SES and VRA Rescue NSW, and hikers from across Australia, banded together in a desperate bid to find him.

There were glimmers of hope – his camera, a lighter and a campfire found during the search – but in the end it was a “miracle” encounter with another hiker, Ty Paros and his friends, that ultimately led to Hadi’s rescue on January 8.

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“On our drive up to Kosciuszko the roads were full of SES and helicopters, so we were aware they were still searching for Hadi,” Ty tells Woman’s Day in an exclusive interview just days after.

“We had no idea where he was and didn’t expect to run into him at all. It was a complete coincidence.”

The 19-year-old from Kilmore, Victoria, was hiking through Kosciuszko National Park with his friends when they stumbled upon Hadi near Blue Lake and offered him some food and water.

“He asked what the date was, which is something you don’t want to hear in the mountains and we became concerned about it,” Ty says.

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“We kind of knew this might be the guy who was missing, so we contacted the police, who came straight away.”

Around 40 minutes later, Ty says a police helicopter arrived at their location and winched Hadi to a search command post before he was taken to Cooma hospital to be treated for dehydration.

“We could tell he was exhausted and happy to see us, but his first reaction was asking about his family and if he could ring them,” Ty says.

“But he said thank you the whole time [we were with him], and he was overwhelmed.”

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Despite Hadi being dehydrated, Ty says he was surprised at how well he seemed, noting he only had a few scratches and blisters.

“We’re all still so surprised about the whole thing and how insane it was!” Ty shares.

“He told us he found two muesli bars in 13 days and that was his only food source, and luckily he lived off the creek water.”

HAPPIEST MOMENT

More than 300 people searched for Hadi. (Image: VRA Rescue NSW Search Dogs Squad)
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Leading a team of five volunteers and two dogs, VRA Rescue NSW Search Dogs Squad Captain Sue Pritchard says she wasn’t surprised Hadi was found alive and well.

“We were so relieved and so happy,” she told Woman’s Day.

“He’s fit, intelligent, and an experienced hiker who had shelter, so barring any accidents we thought he’d be found.”

Sue and her team of volunteers were just one of the several VRA Rescue NSW units such as the Caves Rescue Squad and the Special Operations Rescue Unit (SORU) to join the search for Hadi.

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Agreeing with Sue, VRA Rescue NSW SORU Captain Daniel Ney said his unit remained hopeful during the frantic search.

“As with all rescues, there is always the possibility to unfortunately find a person deceased. As time went on this was becoming a higher possibility, and we’re very glad that wasn’t the outcome of this search,” he explains.

Now home with his family recovering, Hadi is thankful for the well-wishes he’s recieved.

“I am very grateful for the rescuers and volunteers involved in searching for me, I cannot thank everyone enough,” he said in a statement.

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Hadi’s sister Zahra says it was the happiest moment of her life when she first heard her brother was found safe.

“I stand before you with a heart full of relief, thankfulness, gratitude and profound appreciation for remarkable work done by the search and rescue team to find my brother,” she said after Hadi’s rescue.

“I would like to thank the group of hikers who reached Hadi yesterday, they are angels sent from the sky.”

Hadi’s cousin Hussain Ali said Hadi was already ready for his next adventure.

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“When we found him, he was keen to go for another hike,” Hussain told the media.

“I was like, nah mate, no more hiking for you, that was it,” he joked.

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