The body found in the bushland on the New South Wales Central Coast is believed to be of a 78-year-old American woman who earlier went missing.
The tourist, who was visiting from the US, reportedly went missing late on Friday night after going astray on a bushwalking trail between Pearl and Patonga Beach.
The local police launched an extensive search operation around Middle Head with police dogs, surf lifesavers and the Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter.
The search was suspended at 3am local time on Saturday and resumed later in the day when a police helicopter crew located a body, according to the Australian Associated Press.
Although the body has not been formally identified, it is believed to be of the septuagenarian woman.
“A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner,” the police said in a statement.
In December 2022, another woman's body was recovered nearly two weeks after the bushwalker disappeared in central west New South Wales.
The body of Esther Wallace, 47, was found about 2km from where she was last seen at Federal Falls in the Mount Canobolas state recreation area, police said.
“It’s just a terrible accident, we believe,” said chief inspector David Maher, adding that woman is believed to have died of hypothermia.
A month earlier, the body of a 19-year-old man, who went missing while swimming in flood waters was found in southern New South Wales.
It was the third death in a month linked to the region's flooding crisis. Ljubisa “Les” Vugec, 85, and Dianne Smith, 60, died when the central-western town of Eugowra, was devastated by flood waters.
