Godfather’s plea after Theo Hayez goes missing in Byron Bay
Theo Hayez was in the middle of a great Australian adventure when he went missing. He was last seen at a nightclub in Byron Bay 11 days ago. His family are now fearing the worst. WATCH THE FAMILY’S STATEMENT.
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Jean-Philippe Pector fears something went wrong on the day his godson Theo Hayez went missing.
Speaking from Byron Bay on Monday, Mr Pector said Theo was expected to be in Melbourne last Friday to celebrate Mr Pector’s daughter’s birthday.
Theo, 18, did not show up and no-one has heard from him since the Belgium backpacker was last seen at the Byron Bay nightclub Cheeky Monkeys 11 days ago.
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Mr Pector, who lives in Victoria, said Theo had started his great Australian adventure at his home last November before venturing around the country.
“We need information that is valid. We have no clue as to what could have been wrong on that day, but something has been wrong, definitely,” Mr Pector said.
“He was planning to celebrate my nine-year-old daughter’s last Friday, he was supposed to be in Melbourne, it is so difficult, the whole family is struggling,” Mr Pector said.
“Theo was really close to us. We need to relate to his parents who are not able to come and imagine how hard it is for us, how hard it is for his mum and dad. They don’t sleep, we don’t sleep, it’s not possible,” he said.
Mr Pector and Mr Hayez’s cousins Lisa and Michael Hayez arrived in Bryon Bay when he was first reported missing last Thursday by staff at the Wakeup! Hostel when he failed to check out of his room as planned.
He was last seen leaving Byron Bay’s Cheeky Monkey’s bar alone on Friday, May 31 around 11pm wearing a black hooded jumper, beige pants and black shoes.
Mr Pector said his godson had a messenger conversation with friends in Belgium shortly after that time and “he seemed lucid”.
“We need information from people who were in touch with him (at Cheeky Monkeys) to know if he had any plans. We know even if he had been asked to leave if he had a little too much to drink, he is sensible, he doesn’t drink much, he doesn’t do drugs,” Mr Pector said.
All activity on social media has gone quiet which is “out of character” Byron Bay Chief Inspector Matt Kehoe said.
“It’s obviously a concern for us that there has been no social media activity, no phone activity and no financial activity over a lengthy period.
“We can’t exclude anything at this stage. We are searching bushland, waterways, the cliffs around here,” Chief Inspector Kehoe said.
Six SES units and police are combing bushland approximately 800 metres from Cheeky Monkeys toward the beach and along the beach and cliffs to the east.
The search effort has failed to uncover any significant leads and black clothing items found in bushland were ruled out as belonging to the teen.
Lisa Hayez has mounted a social media campaign but said there had been many sightings of tall blond men, but no-one had been identified as Theo.
Originally published as Godfather’s plea after Theo Hayez goes missing in Byron Bay
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