Australia Australia - Theo Hayez, 18, Belgian backpacker, Byron Bay, June 2019

[Matlock]

In the footage from the bottle shop he seems to have his wallet in his left pocket and phone in the right. It's hard to tell with the photos at the doors to CM. I think he's holding his phone but it's hard to tell if his wallet is in either pocket. Regardless his friend seemed sure that he didn't have it. It would seem odd to not carry some physical cash especially when travelling just for safety reasons.

I would imagine most people would take their wallet to a bar. If he only took his ctedit card then maybe this means he was in fact planning after CM to go the route he went, he knew it would be late and dark and didn't want to carry a wallet in case he got mugged or maybe someone even told him to be careful that there were homeless people or gypsies camping in the dunes and don't take your wallet or any obvious valuables near that area. If he definately didn't take his wallet there must have been a reason for this. The only other reason I can think of would be that may it be annoying to have a big wallet in your jeans whilst sitting or dancing at CM.

 

[BusterXP]

Highly unlikely Theo would have headed to Tallow Beach car park just for drugs as has been suggested here. You don't need to go that far to get drugs in Byron.
I find nothing suspicious with the bit of back and forth in the map posted. There are 3 routes suggested by Google Maps of about equal time over to Tallow Beach and if you go off course a little you'd probably get a redirect. At one stage he may have thought to head over to the beach at Clarkes.

This is what happens up at Cosy Corner:
"Surfers taking part in an event at Cosy Corner at Byron Bay on Sunday were met with piles of rubbish and human excrement left over from an illegal party.

National Parks and Wildlife Service staff were left to clean up after the party, prompting the service to issue a warning that it would continue cracking down on such events."
Illegal Byron beach party prompts increase in patrols – Echonetdaily
It's not uncommon.
There is the possibility of drugs at those types of parties.
If I was to make an assumption based on the cap and the map (even though they are unverified) I'd say he headed over to a party and may have tried to scale back up to the lighthouse - track slightly in on lower level ground then across and close to the cliff face. It's very treacherous but it's still often done.

 

[crazychris]

There are posters all around Nimbin. Someone would see one. No cards have been used, no withdrawals made and he has no cash.
There was plenty of time left on his Visa. I'd think if he was going to 'drop out' he would have planned it and not done so immediately after being asked to leave a club for being intoxicated.

Agreed. It's either an accident or foul play.

 

[mussopossum]

I think police have more info they aren't releasing and are playing a waiting game for someone to slip up and mention something that only a perpetrator would know. The case near me is like that. They haven't released particular details about the woman's death although I think I figured some of it out because I live nearby and have seen and know what goes on in the area. Locals who know the BB streets and foreshore area well should put their thinking caps on. What dodgy or strange things go on there that anyone may have experienced? Especially in recent times (and I don't mean aboriginal tribes living in the bushes!)

I spoke to someone I know who lives in the area last week and asked them what they thought of it. She said much talk / speculation in town was that they think it was drugs related. I asked to elaborate further as did they mean he was on drugs and had an accident and fallen over / injured
himself, drink spiked related, going to buy drugs related or he walked through an area where known drug activity occurs / gangs frequent etc or trafficking? I didn’t get any real response to elaborate further really as I think she has just heard suggestions from people without going in much detail. Just like we all do, I guess the locals are chatting amongst themselves too trying to solve / suggest / did up any info they can, right or wrong. None of us know him so can’t speculate he was into drugs at all, I doubt he was walking (if) that map is correct on his own all that way to score. Nope! Walking through a possibly bad and dangerous area at night where drug activity accuses, Sure. I don’t believe it though. I don’t know what to believe now but just know all this time has passed and still no Theo.

 

[mussopossum]

i hope the person who found the hat knows the exact spot, there could be dna right there, if theo was punched etc there could be blood or hair, they probably should have left it there and called police to bag it

Strict instructions for the volunteers searching were if they found anything of interest was to photograph it in the location where / how it was found and mark the location. I agree being something that appeared to be well known piece of clothing if can call it that, that they were looking for I would guarded it and got police in. Articles say was handed over to police so I presume it was bagged and taken to that detective. I’m surprised the police have not returned to the spot again now.... or have they? We just haven’t heard about it

 

[mussopossum]

I have been tracing the route on Google Maps too. Maybe I will upload them later.

Re where the cap was found 50m from the beach... Well not really that close to a homeless camp then?

I am thinking of a possibility. The route must have been mapped by a location app, since it is so precise. Google or Facebook perhaps, and that required use of GPS.

Once the phone went into water, where the last spot was located, GPS would no longer work AFAIK. So there the route ended.

However IIRC the Oppo was water resistant? So it might still ping the phone towers for hours more, until it went out of power.

As for Theo himself.... It didn't look like he was partying, looking at that route. Spark may be right, he was exploring. He might be able to see the lighthouse from Cosy Corner. That was some light, because the route past Patterson St must be very dark. But he couldn't climb up there. He lost his cap while he tried, apparently.

Then somehow, his phone went back down the beach, and finally, possibly, into the water.

Honestly I am feeling pretty bad about it now. Nothing good could have come out of that situation, that I can think of.

Someone please tell me I am wrong.

[URL="https://www.oppo.com/au/smartphone-reno-5g/"]OPPO Reno 5G - Further Your Vision | OPPO Australia

If he had this model phone (which no idea what type Oppo it was) it had the new Dual GPS. This apparanly can get location up to about 30cm accuracy to the phone with the location gps chip.

It may be why they have been able to pin point accuratey the final ping. From what it appears on the map looks like it pinged at the rocks.
So if the phone had such good accuracy for GPS and it pinged as per map then where the heck is it?

Issue is he was reported missing 6 days later so if his phone sat on the rocks there and had not been swept away by water or covered in sand a tourist or anybody could just picked it up and left the country with it none the wiser. Not everybody is honest unfortunately these days regardless of a missing person or not. The fact is, it may have been found the day after he was missing and whoever has it doesnt give a rats about who it belonged to.


[/URL]

 

[mussopossum]

But if he used Google's directions from Tennyson to Tallow Beach car park, he wouldn't be using that route, or had to change directions a few times. A strange route to go to a destination, if there was one.

I agree, and GMaps did not send him up off the main roads and into the bush tracks either they all stuck with roads on our calculations. There would be no light whatsoever on those bush tracks at night and I cant comprehend how any sane person would walk through there who does not know the area without lights and in the bush. Even with full lighting no way I would go there.

 

[mussopossum]

I tend to agree with this scenario. But I didn't want to say it earlier. The carpark likely an area where you buy drugs. Psychosis or could have stopped breathing and someone then hidden him.

It is interesting this discussion now as per my post this morning my friend saying local talk saying was drug related. Maybe police do have suspician on this who knows.

 

[mussopossum]

That was a really interesting article. I thought someone (Sparks I think) was exagerating earlier when talking about aboriginal kids. Looks like many others camping there too.

Real eye opener to me too. Sparks mentioned an indigenous type man come down, I am thinking may have been one of described in this article. I remember visiting Thailand and the Sea gypsies. Remote small island with just a few generations on it. Truely a wonderful experiance and eye opener.

 

[mussopossum]

I beleive this is the last ping location of his phone?
Do we know if on this night was any high wind, dangerous surf alerts and where the tide was around midnight? (I know tides has been discussed here somewhere)


Corner not-so-cosy during Cape Byron rescues

Tallow Beach corner not-so-cosy during Cape Byron rescues
Posted 15 Jul 2015, 8:55am

PHOTO: Danger zone - the rescue helicopter is a common sight around Cape Byron. (file photo) (Bruce Mackenzie)
Inexperienced surfers are being urged to steer clear of the northern end of Tallow Beach near Byron Bay.

Three people were swept around Cosy Corner in the space of 20 minutes yesterday afternoon.

Jimmy Keogh, from Surf Lifesaving New South Wales, said one bodyboarder had to be winched to safety after scrambling onto rocks beneath Cape Byron.

"When he was extracted by the helicopter he was very cold, he'd been there for two and a half hours," he said.

"But yeah very lucky, we've seen situations where... it's been tragic.

"We're just asking people to take care.

"That side of the coast at the moment, especially Cosy Corner, isn't ideal.

"There's a lot of water coming out of the corner there."

 

[sparks030405]

Byron Shire Council would have much higher res aerial map of the area. Any locals reading this? Can they network to get Council to provide? I guess the police know this and have asked. Would make looking for camp sites easier. Does sound like he maybe met someone at the oval and was escorted to the beach. If he intended to buy drugs that night, he would just keep the cash for later and insist to mates he didn’t have any, and just use credit card instead. Otherwise he went to an organised beach party at Cosy Corner (good spot since out of the wind on a cold night and isolated) made friends and was offered drugs for free. From the article about the homeless living rough, they do sound pretty caring and sharing, but also reclusive and anti the police which is fair enough - the males generally have an unpleasant demeanour, 1 in 40 have criminal records. They (the authorities) are sweeping these people off the tourist areas into the bush, intimidating them to keep them from sight. So cruel fining homeless people. So they end up having to deal drugs to recoup their losses. Who is the guilty party in this vicious cycle? Another royal commission overdue, this time targeting the government itself. So many victims, always the the vulnerable easy targets. Anyway, maybe nothing to do with the homeless campers and more to do with a group of backpackers meeting up on the beach, and a silly idea to go for a walk up the steep track to see the lookout

 

[feralflower]

I beleive this is the last ping location of his phone?
Do we know if on this night was any high wind, dangerous surf alerts and where the tide was around midnight? (I know tides has been discussed here somewhere)


Corner not-so-cosy during Cape Byron rescues

Tallow Beach corner not-so-cosy during Cape Byron rescues
Posted 15 Jul 2015, 8:55am

PHOTO: Danger zone - the rescue helicopter is a common sight around Cape Byron. (file photo) (Bruce Mackenzie)
Inexperienced surfers are being urged to steer clear of the northern end of Tallow Beach near Byron Bay.

Three people were swept around Cosy Corner in the space of 20 minutes yesterday afternoon.

Jimmy Keogh, from Surf Lifesaving New South Wales, said one bodyboarder had to be winched to safety after scrambling onto rocks beneath Cape Byron.

"When he was extracted by the helicopter he was very cold, he'd been there for two and a half hours," he said.

"But yeah very lucky, we've seen situations where... it's been tragic.

"We're just asking people to take care.

"That side of the coast at the moment, especially Cosy Corner, isn't ideal.

"There's a lot of water coming out of the corner there."

There was hardly no wind, less than 2km an hour and low tide at 12.41 am on June 1st. But yes strong rip there at end of rocks though phone ping is not that far out, seems to stop on the sandy area of the beach near the first big rock and not near deep water if ping is accurate.

 

[mussopossum]

Byron Shire Council would have much higher res aerial map of the area. Any locals reading this? Can they network to get Council to provide? I guess the police know this and have asked. Would make looking for camp sites easier. Does sound like he maybe met someone at the oval and was escorted to the beach. If he intended to buy drugs that night, he would just keep the cash for later and insist to mates he didn’t have any, and just use credit card instead. Otherwise he went to an organised beach party at Cosy Corner (good spot since out of the wind on a cold night and isolated) made friends and was offered drugs for free. From the article about the homeless living rough, they do sound pretty caring and sharing, but also reclusive and anti the police which is fair enough - the males generally have an unpleasant demeanour, 1 in 40 have criminal records. They (the authorities) are sweeping these people off the tourist areas into the bush, intimidating them to keep them from sight. So cruel fining homeless people. So they end up having to deal drugs to recoup their losses. Who is the guilty party in this vicious cycle? Another royal commission overdue, this time targeting the government itself. So many victims, always the the vulnerable easy targets. Anyway, maybe nothing to do with the homeless campers and more to do with a group of backpackers meeting up on the beach, and a silly idea to go for a walk up the steep track to see the lookout

I’m taking some time off first weekend August and will be doing the cape Byron walk and beaches so if everything still a mystery then and no Theo found I will stop at Tallows and get a heap photos of the whole beach rocks and upwards of the cliffs etc plus car park areas and photo of bush track terrain just so have more to look at and understand

 

[Via Marple]

View attachment 189699
>Looking southeast towards Tallow Beach. The headland is high up above the sea and the beach. If you fall over, you might get stuck in the bushes and some rocks, before ever rolling down into the water.

View attachment 189700
And, there are fences and rails to prevent you tripping, unless you mean to climb over.

Trying to re-post my previous posts....

The first pic was a view of Tallow beach taken from Lighthouse Road above. It is very high above the beach down there . Cosy Corner is that spot to the far left. I don't know whether that was high or low tide at the time.

In the second pic, I was positioned right above Cosy Corner, I guess.

The parking that is on Lighthouse Rd probably caters for lighthouse visitors. No one would think of parking on Lighthouse Rd and climbing down to Tallow Beach, I hope.....

 

[mussopossum]

Trying to re-post my previous posts....

The first pic was a view of Tallow beach taken from Lighthouse Road above. It is very high above the beach down there . Cosy Corner is that spot to the far left. I don't know whether that was high or low tide at the time.

In the second pic, I was positioned right above Cosy Corner, I guess.

The parking that is on Lighthouse Rd probably caters for lighthouse visitors. No one would think of parking on Lighthouse Rd and climbing down to Tallow Beach, I hope.....

When i drove up there last week i looked down at Tallow and across the beach and bush. I remember thinking to myself how steep it was and certainly you would not climb up the headland.... you would fall

 

[mussopossum]

Here is a better picture of the area

 

[Sambam89]

You sign up with your phone number and can only contact people in your usual phone contacts that also have it I thought? I think it pre populates your ‘contacts’ to people who you already have as a regular contact, who also use what’s app.

But I could be wrong I’ve only recently signed up from looking at it now that’s what it seems like

 

[Via Marple]

OPPO Reno 5G - Further Your Vision | OPPO Australia

If he had this model phone (which no idea what type Oppo it was) it had the new Dual GPS. This apparanly can get location up to about 30cm accuracy to the phone with the location gps chip.

It may be why they have been able to pin point accuratey the final ping. From what it appears on the map looks like it pinged at the rocks.
So if the phone had such good accuracy for GPS and it pinged as per map then where the heck is it?

Issue is he was reported missing 6 days later so if his phone sat on the rocks there and had not been swept away by water or covered in sand a tourist or anybody could just picked it up and left the country with it none the wiser. Not everybody is honest unfortunately these days regardless of a missing person or not. The fact is, it may have been found the day after he was missing and whoever has it doesnt give a rats about who it belonged to.

View attachment 194042

Thanks

What I have learned from Dr Google is, GPS doesn't - yet- work under water.

This is a good link to read:
GPS Doesn't Work Underwater

Right now, I suppose there isn't that technology yet, to have GPS to work in water. Even if there is a more sophisticated system in an Oppo phone.

If we re-visit the tides table for Byron on 1 June,
Wategos Beach Tide Times, NSW - WillyWeather

Low tides for the day were at 12.41am, 12.34pm. The phone if left on the sand or rocks after about 1am, could emerge out of the water after 12 hours.

That was also around the time it sent out its last ping.

Re the chance that someone had picked up the phone - absolutely agree!

 

[mussopossum]

Thanks

What I have learned from Dr Google is, GPS doesn't - yet- work under water.

This is a good link to read:
GPS Doesn't Work Underwater

Right now, I suppose there isn't that technology yet, to have GPS to work in water. Even if there is a more sophisticated system in an Oppo phone.

If we re-visit the tides table for Byron on 1 June,
Wategos Beach Tide Times, NSW - WillyWeather
View attachment 194147
Low tides for the day were at 12.41am, 12.34pm. The phone if left on the sand or rocks after about 1am, could emerge out of the water after 12 hours.

That was also around the time it sent out its last ping.

Re the chance that someone had picked up the phone - absolutely agree!

Thanks for the info, interesting read. I truely beleive his phone has either been found by someone who has just taken it or it is still in the sand somewhere

 

[Sillybilly]

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