A 16-year-old boy has been found dead in a creek in the Blue Mountains National Park after he became separated from his friend on a camping trip. New South Wales police reported the incident on Thursday.
The two boys, aged 16 and 17, travelled to Leura train station on Tuesday before walking to Mount Hay. The older boy activated his personal locator beacon shortly before 6pm on Wednesday after the pair became separated.
A multi-agency response was triggered, involving rescue helicopters, paramedics and rescue squads. The 17-year-old was winched from the Acacia Flats camping ground, about 36km from Mount Hay, to safety.
The search for the 16-year-old continued until his body was found in a creek in the Blue Gum forest within the national park at approximately 1pm on Thursday.
Police stated that a post-mortem examination will be conducted in the coming days to determine the cause of death, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
