Hadi Nazari: Hikers snap selfie moments after 13-day search mission in Kosciuszko National Park ends

It looks like any other group selfie in the great outdoors, but these pictures capture the elated final moments of a desperate 13-day search for lost hiker Hadi Nazari in the NSW Snowy Mountains.

The 23-year-old medical student was reported missing on Boxing Day by two friends after he failed to turn up at Geehi campground, as planned at the end of a five-day hike through the Kosciuszko National Park

He had last been seen descending the Hannels Spur trail near Geehi, between Khancoban and Thredbo, about 2.30pm on December 26.

A large-scale search involving about 400 people, including NSW Police, the State Emergency Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Ambulance, and volunteers was launched to find Mr Nazari, who was an experienced hiker.

After 13 days, he was found about 10km from the Geehi campground.

Hikers in the area heard calls from a man while walking near Blue Lake in the National Park shortly after 3pm on Wednesday. The man told them he had been lost for days and was thirsty.

The hikers alerted police and a nearby helicopter was brought in to winch Mr Nazari from the ground before transporting him to the search command post.

The NSW Rural Fire Service captured the moment Mr Nazari waved at the group of hikers who heard him, before being united atop a mountain, and then sitting together.

While sitting on the hillside, the group took some selfies. One of the hikers, Joshua Dart, posted them to Instagram, captioning the happy snaps: “Thank God we found the missing hiker on our hike in Kosciuszko!”

Mr Nazari was treated for dehydration before being taken to Cooma Hospital.

“I have every confidence that he’ll be released very soon,” NSW Police Inspector John Broadfoot told reporters.

“Our specialist paramedics have had a look at him and he’s seemed in great condition so full hopes he’ll be on his way home very shortly.”

He was later reunited with his loved ones who held out hope for Mr Nazari’s rescue for almost two weeks.

“We are grateful for everyone involved in helping us find my brother,” his sister, Zahra Nazari, said on behalf of her family.

Mr Nazari told police he found a hut in the mountains and had eaten two museli bars that he packed in his kit.

Mr Nazari also foraged for berries and fresh water and had been walking “from morning to night”, Insp Broadfoot said.

There were signs the experienced bushwalker was alive after rubbish, hiking poles, a campfire, lighter and camera belonging to him were found during the search.

After he checks out of hospital, police plan to speak to Mr Nazari as early as Thursday to glean more information about how he became lost and how he survived the 13-day ordeal.

Survival teacher Jake Cassar told the Daily Telegraph Mr Nazari would have made crucial, smart decisions to ensure his survival for almost two weeks in the wilderness — chief among them was finding water.

“They say about three days without water (is possible), but it really depends on the circumstances and how hot it is, how stressed the individual is,” Mr Cassar said, saying the hiker must have “kept it together as best as he could, and got close to water”.

“If he didn’t have access to water and was in the extreme heat then he wouldn’t have lasted very long at all.”