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,” Mr Nazari’s cousin Hussain Ali told reporters outside Cooma hospital on Thursday.

“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.”

Mr Ali said Mr 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,” Mr 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.

Mr Nazari was winched to the search command post and treated for dehydration before being taken to Cooma hospital.

Mr 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, Mr 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.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the medical student’s return was “fantastic news and “quite remarkable”.

“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 Mr Nazari, shared a photo with the message: “Thank God we found the missing hiker on our hike in Kosciuszko!”

NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Spliet said Mr Nazari was found about 10km from the Geehi campground near where he was last seen.

Mr Nazari, who is studying to become a neurosurgeon at Melbourne University, told police he had barely eaten anything apart fromtwo muesli bars and some berries he foraged.

“He found a hut up there in the mountains,” Supt Spliet told reporters 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.”

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

In a statement on behalf of the family, sister Zahra Nazari said they were relieved he was safe and sound.

“We are grateful for everyone involved in helping us find my brother,” the family 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.

Mr Nazari was reported missing on Boxing Day after failing to turn up to Geehi campground.

He had last been seen descending the Hannels Spur trail between Khancoban and Thredbo on December 26.

His disappearance sparked a multi-agency air and ground search that involved up to 400 people.

Locals told AAP the area where Mr Nazari went missing was very dangerous with low visibility and would be easy for experienced hikers to find themselves lost among the dense bush.