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February 3, 2026 — 6:49pm
A 16-year-old boy found dead after becoming separated from his mate during a three-day bushwalk in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney has been remembered as an adventurous boy with a bright future.
Andre Marquez was an air force cadet with a “special soul”, a statement from his family accompanying a fundraiser for his funeral said.
The teen was a black belt in karate and had hoped to get into the Australian Defence Force Academy to study aeronautical engineering.
“Andre had a kind heart, a friend and comforter to everyone who crossed his path. He always saw the positive in things and only wanted peace for the world,” the statement said.
“Andre was an adventurous boy, full of joy and laughter.
“He was not only smart in academics, but he knew all sorts of survival skills; swimming, first aid, camping.
“He was a boy with many aspirations and achievements … with a shining bright future.”
The online fundraiser was close to its $20,000 funding goal on Tuesday afternoon, with the top donation coming from Marquez’s father’s employer.
“Our hearts are broken for him and his family,” the company said, sharing the fundraiser on social media.
Marquez was on a planned three-day bushwalk with another boy aged 17.
The pair set off from Leura train station on Tuesday last week, heading towards Mount Hay in the Blue Mountains National Park, west of Sydney.
But they became separated on Wednesday afternoon. Marquez’s mate was winched from the Acacia Flat camping ground in the Grose Valley Wilderness area after activating a personal locator beacon.
A search for Marquez ended when the boy was found dead in a creek in Blue Gum Forest on Thursday afternoon.
A report is being prepared for the coroner with a post-mortem examination to determine how he died.
Graham Reibelt, co-founder of award-winning tourism information platform Ask Roz Blue Mountains, told this masthead the area where the boys became separated was “very hostile”.
“You can be 10 metres away from someone and not know where they were. You get disoriented,” Reibelt said.
