A hiker has described the “crazy” experience of coming across missing Melbourne student Hadi Nazari, who then burst into tears after 13 days lost in the bush.

Joshua Dart and his group were hiking Mount Kosciuszko, NSW, when they saw a person halfway down a hill calling faintly for help.

“We’re shouting: ‘Are you OK? Do you need help?’ And they’re shouting … ‘I need help’,” Dart told Nine newspapers.

“We slowly start climbing down the hill, and he’s climbing up slowly, and we meet halfway.

“There’s this weird, crazy moment where I’m looking at him and he’s saying: ‘I haven’t eaten in seven days’. It was actually 12, but he was saying seven.”

Dart told the newspaper he was in disbelief when his group, which included mate James Clark and cousin Jess Dart, stumbled upon Nazari.

“We sort of sat down on the mountain there, and he just … collapses into Jess’ arms in tears,” said Dart.

“Before you know it, there’s about 10 of us there. All formed around him, hugging him, offering him water, offering him food.

“I called triple zero and talked to police and they brought a helicopter in … and in the meantime, he called his family on someone else’s phone, and … he was just in tears. He’s crying, talking to his family for the first time. [It] was hectic.”

Dart shared a photo of them together on social media, showing the missing man smiling as they sat on the ground.

“Thank God we found the missing hiker on our hike in Kosciuszko!” the post reads.

A big group of hikers gathered around Hadi Nazari when he was discovered. Photo: Instagram

Nazari has revealed his miracle return came down to surviving on two muesli bars and berries he foraged while spending 13 days lost in rugged alpine bushland.

The 23-year-old from Melbourne was reunited with loved ones after he was found on Wednesday afternoon near Blue Lake.

In a statement, Nazari thanked everyone for their efforts in the search.

“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.

“As I continue to recover, I ask the media for privacy at this time.”

Hadi Nazari was winched to safety and choppered to hospital. Photo: NSW Police

NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Spliet said the spot where he was found was about 10 kilometres from where he went missing on Boxing Day.

Nazari was winched to safety and treated for dehydration before being taken to Cooma hospital, where he remained on Thursday.

Miraculously, the extent of his injuries were understood to be blistering on his feet.

Hadi Nazari was missing in the Kosciuszko National Park since Boxing Day. Photo: Victoria Police Service

Nazari, who is studying to become a neurosurgeon at Melbourne University, told police he had barely eaten anything apart from two muesli bars since going missing.

“He found a hut up there in the mountains,” Spliet said in Wagga Wagga.

“There were two muesli bars up there that he’s eaten and that’s pretty much all that he’s had to consume over the last two weeks.”

Nazari drank fresh water from creeks and had been walking “from morning to night”, police said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns described it as the “first good news story of 2025”.

“It’s a story of survival and resilience,” he said.

He said the case highlighted the need for all hikers to ensure they had communications devices and extra food and water.

“NSW and Australia is a big place … and as a result, you can get lost quite quickly,” Minns said.

A relieved and “very thirsty” Hadi Nazari is reunited with loved ones. Photo: ABC

Nazari was reported missing on Boxing Day by two friends after failing to turn up to Geehi campground as planned.

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

His disappearance sparked a multi-agency air and ground search that involved up to 400 people, who were elated he was found alive.

Locals said the area where Nazari went missing was very dangerous and had low visibility. They said it would be easy for even experienced hikers to get lost in the dense bush.

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.

Once Nazari leaves hospital, police will speak to him to find out more about how he became lost and survived the ordeal.

-with AAP