Australia news live: Hiker Lily Hooper remembered as someone âeveryone likedâ; testing under way after dozens of little penguins found dead
Lily Hooper has been remembered for her smile, her talent and her toughness as the local community reels in the wake of the teenage hikerâs death.
The 18-year-oldâs body was recovered from the dense bush of the NSW Southern Highlands overnight, eight days after she was reported missing and the night after it was incorrectly communicated that she had been found alive.
Condolences have poured in for her family and her martial arts teacher, Mark Szalajko, paid tribute to Hooper in a post on social media.
double quotation markShe was a talented and tough martial artist, but despite that toughness, Lily was such a lovely person. She was one of those people who everyone simply liked.
As a martial arts teacher, people walk into and out of our lives every day for many different reasons. Some leave a positive impact on us and on our dojo, and we wish they could have stayed longer. Lily was one of those people.
I will really miss her smile, her conversations and the moments we shared on the mat.
The Wollondilly Performing Arts centre and Wollondilly Shire library have been lit up in purple in memory of Hooper and on Friday evening, a vigil will be held in Oakdale, where she lived with her family.