If there was a group of them meeting at the oval, there might have been a car (parked on Cowper?) but there was too many to fit in, so some drove to the Tallow car park and the others ran to the Milne track to meet up on the beach. Is there any more info on the beach gathering reported to have happened there that night?
Australia Australia - Theo Hayez, 18, Belgian backpacker, Byron Bay, June 2019 #2
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It would be nigh impossible to keep several people quiet. He couldn't have met a group of people and hung out with them casually and no one come forward afterwards I'd be shocked if this was the case.
We most also not hang ourselves too much on the squiggles in the map.
In fact if you google enough of these articles you could question a lot of it.
Location Accuracy - Google Maps Help
The strongest piece of evidence is the cctv footage and the hat.
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On the "The Lighthouse FB" page there are pictures taken on the 31 May and 1st June from instagram and from (can't remember : not my cuppa) Some pictures are masked. Sorry if you already have this info.
Would you mind putting the links here for us? I’ve just attempted to find what you mean but no luck. Thanks.
feralflower
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It points to him walking fast, rather than running. This also indicates he knew where he was going along with him striding fast and not googling Tallows or Cosy Corner. Maybe was with a person who walked fast so he upped his pace to keep up or maybe wasn't him but someone striding away with his phone, still not sure what to think, either is possible though walking with someone maybe more likely. If he wanted to go to Cosy on his own he would not have de toured to Tennyson, would have mapped it and headed straight there, so he was either with company or whoever he met up with took off with his phone. He walked normal to end of Tennyson, then something changed there. I thought initially the time he left Cheeky's was 11.10 pm but now all can find is "around 11 pm" and not sure where I saw the 11.10 pm. About a 700 meter walk to end of Tennyson, so add another 10 minutes , then how long did he stay at end of Tennyson? But yes a fast walk more like it from there. So why the change of pace is an important question with so many possibilities.
My bet at this point is that someone he met at CMs told him how to get to the oval, or followed him from the bar and accompanied him.
There’s no mention of Theo googling directions to Tennyson Street yet he heads straight there.
There’s no images coming out of CMs on the night, yet they are likely to exist.
There’s no cctv released of Kingsley Street outside CMs before and after Theo left. This would exist.
Directed to the oval, followed or accompanied. Perhaps due to a prior conversation at the bar, or even maybe Wake Up. My bet’s on the bar and any available visuals (eye witnesses, photos, video) are crucial.
There’s no mention of Theo googling directions to Tennyson Street yet he heads straight there.
There’s no images coming out of CMs on the night, yet they are likely to exist.
There’s no cctv released of Kingsley Street outside CMs before and after Theo left. This would exist.
Directed to the oval, followed or accompanied. Perhaps due to a prior conversation at the bar, or even maybe Wake Up. My bet’s on the bar and any available visuals (eye witnesses, photos, video) are crucial.
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By masked I meant you have to "expand". The Lighthouse Podcast Facebook.
Here is the link and hope it works.
The Lighthouse Podcast
According to the 2nd Podcast:
- it was freezing cold that night (so Theo wouldn't have gone for a swim)
- the Milne track was searched on June 10th
- google shows Theo was 'running' from the sportsfield up to cosy corner
- at 00:05 GPS tracking stopped
- at 00:56 Theo sent his last message: a WA message, of which the content is unknown*
- Theo's phone was in sleep mode from 2 to 6 am
- an indigenous ceremony at Tallows is mentioned (when was did it take place?)
- the majority of surfers at the time of the podcast interview was Brasilian
- there is a local rumour about what might have happened to Theo
* surely the receiver must be known? And: there must be ways to decrypt WA messages
- it was freezing cold that night (so Theo wouldn't have gone for a swim)
- the Milne track was searched on June 10th
- google shows Theo was 'running' from the sportsfield up to cosy corner
- at 00:05 GPS tracking stopped
- at 00:56 Theo sent his last message: a WA message, of which the content is unknown*
- Theo's phone was in sleep mode from 2 to 6 am
- an indigenous ceremony at Tallows is mentioned (when was did it take place?)
- the majority of surfers at the time of the podcast interview was Brasilian
- there is a local rumour about what might have happened to Theo
* surely the receiver must be known? And: there must be ways to decrypt WA messages
You need the device and the key. It's end to end encryption with nothing stored on the server. Whatsapp can identify the time a message was sent and possibly the recipient but that's it.
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The receiver is known to the family because he/she called the parents as soon the disappearance of Théo was known, I read somewhere a long time ago.
“At 12.55am, his phone also sent a WhatsApp message to his stepsister Emma in Belgium.
It, too, was a reply to an earlier message and had a kiss emoji with one word in French — “Merci”.”
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koalazone
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I find it strange he was googling for directions back to the backpackers while he was travelling in the wrong direction.
Wish I could walk the Milne track. To see how unlikely it was he'd decide to detour north on that track.
Reason I say is - when I was younger and visiting an island near Malaysia, I found myself lost in scrub/bush in similar circumstances... I was thinking I could take a short cut back to my apartment. If he could hear the beach up ahead, he might of thought he needed to go to his left thinking the beach was the same beach near his backpackers.
That might sound far fetched, but if he wasn't thinking straight for whatever reason, there's no telling. He was misreading google maps, after all.
Fingers crossed for him.
Wish I could walk the Milne track. To see how unlikely it was he'd decide to detour north on that track.
Reason I say is - when I was younger and visiting an island near Malaysia, I found myself lost in scrub/bush in similar circumstances... I was thinking I could take a short cut back to my apartment. If he could hear the beach up ahead, he might of thought he needed to go to his left thinking the beach was the same beach near his backpackers.
That might sound far fetched, but if he wasn't thinking straight for whatever reason, there's no telling. He was misreading google maps, after all.
Fingers crossed for him.
I think this is more likely then unlikely your point about Theo self orienting. His only point of reference may be the beach only being in Byron a short time. People assume coast lines are liner not angular as is the case in Byron coastal topography.
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My daughter is planning a backpacking trip through the Philippines and Australia during the upcoming Dec/Jan holidays and Byron Bay is on her list.
I will be following along and hope that Theo is found.
I will be following along and hope that Theo is found.
It was suspected there were other WhatsApp messages. That's why the family sought help with records and messages.
According to the 1st Podcast, the hostel's shuttle bus stopped at the Tourist Information Centre at Jonson Str.
That is where Theo and the other youngsters stepped out.
From there it's a 5 minute walk to CM, due South. They did not step out of the bus in front of CM.
Location of the Info. Centre:
Contact Us - Byron Bay Visitor Information Centre
I still believe that Theo knew how to walk back to his hostel, and that he would have had to follow Jonson Str. Northbound, in the direction of the Info. Centre and beyond.
Instead of turning South and East.
That is where Theo and the other youngsters stepped out.
From there it's a 5 minute walk to CM, due South. They did not step out of the bus in front of CM.
Location of the Info. Centre:
Contact Us - Byron Bay Visitor Information Centre
I still believe that Theo knew how to walk back to his hostel, and that he would have had to follow Jonson Str. Northbound, in the direction of the Info. Centre and beyond.
Instead of turning South and East.
Why keep google mapping the address then and going the opposite way?
Theo is constantly described as sensible, cautious, organised and a planner. Perhaps, even though he chose to deviate off the direct route home, he still wanted to know at every point where he was in relation to Wake Up, and how to return there.
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