16-Year-Old Found Dead in Blue Mountains After Teens Became Separated on Camping Trip

NSW Police said in a Jan. 30 press release that a 16-year-old boy was found dead in a creek in the Blue Gum Forest area of Blue Mountains National Park at about 1 p.m. on Jan. 29. The teen had been on a three-day camping trip with a 17-year-old companion before the pair became separated, police said.

The older boy activated his personal locator beacon and was winched from the Acacia Flats camping ground. After the 17-year-old was rescued, a land and air search involving local police, the Blue Mountains Rescue Squad, PolAir, NSW Ambulance paramedics and the TOLL Rescue Helicopter located the missing boy’s body in the creek, officials confirmed.

Officials and local sources described the area as rugged with poor phone reception. Sonya Muhlsimmer, president of the Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking Club, told the ABC that the forest has “a couple of footpads [narrow tracks]” and it’s “quite easy to get disoriented and lost.” She praised the 17-year-old for using a personal locator beacon and advised hikers to carry one, tell others their route and not separate from companions.

Graham Reibelt, co-founder of Ask Roz Blue Mountains, told the Sydney Morning Herald the area is “very hostile,” saying vegetation regrew aggressively after fires and some tracks are effectively self-maintained. He noted hikers can become disoriented even when close to others and that people submit plans to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service before exploring.

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