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The cousin of rescued hiker Hadi Nazari has detailed their emotional reunion — saying the family never lost hope for his survival.
The 23-year-old from Melbourne was found by hikers on Wednesday afternoon near Blue Lake in NSW's Kosciuszko National Park, after 13 days missing in rugged bushland.
"I was the first person he saw, and he just came out of the van and ran towards me and hugged me," Nazari's cousin Hussain Ali told reporters outside Cooma hospital today.
"We were all surprised and shocked at how fit and healthy he was after 13 days.
"When we found him, he was keen to go for another hike."
Ali said Nazari's parents in Melbourne were "very happy, they were thankful to God" but not once had the family lost hope.
"We were sure that he's a fighter, he'll fight to the end," Ali said.
Friends and family arrived from Melbourne and Sydney to search for him, in an effort that took police and emergency services by surprise.
Nazari was winched to the search command post and treated for dehydration before being taken to Cooma hospital.
Ali said he hoped his cousin would be released from hospital within hours, and the pair would drive back to Melbourne together.
The hiker's injuries include blistering all over his feet and some scratches.
In a statement released through NSW Police, Nazari thanked all involved in his rescue.
"I would like to thank all of the emergency services personnel for their tireless work searching for 13 days in tough conditions, to locate me," he said.
"I would also like to thank members of the public, family and friends for their well wishes and prayers."
Hadi Nazari, second from right, after he was found by a group of hikers. (Source: Instagram / @joshua.dart)
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the medical student's return was "fantastic news and "quite remarkable".
Hadi Nazari was last seen descending the Hannels Spur trail in the Kosciuszko National Park about 2.30pm on December 26.
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Wednesday 7:23pm
He told police he had barely eaten anything apart from two muesli bars since going missing.
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12:48pm
Hadi Nazari, 23, has not been seen since he began descending the challenging Hannels Spur track in the Kosciuszko National Park on Boxing Day.
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Tue, Jan 7
"We always see the best of the Australian character – whether it be the emergency service workers, the volunteers, the police who've helped to find Hadi, or Hadi himself – showing the resilience that is part of the Australian spirit," he told reporters in regional WA.
Joshua Dart, part of the group who found Nazari, shared a photo with the message: "Thank God we found the missing hiker on our hike in Kosciuszko!"
