Brazilian cops backtrack on ‘finding’ missing Australian backpacker Rye Hunt

BRAZILIAN authorities have claimed the man they believed was missing Australian backpacker Rye Hunt was in fact not him at all.

BRAZILIAN authorities have claimed the man they believed was missing Australian backpacker Rye Hunt was in fact not him at all.

Overnight, authorities said Mr Hunt might have been found after undergoing a psychotic episode and swimming to a deserted island, but local police later clarified this wasn’t the case, despite the sighting of a man on the island by a fisherman.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has issued a statement this afternoon confirming that Rye has not been found and that the search for him continues,” his family said in a statement.

The statement reads:

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware that Brazilian police noted a possible sighting of Mr Rye Duval Hunt by a fisherman on an offshore island near Rio de Janeiro on the weekend. This has not been confirmed via official police channels. We note that Brazilian police gave a press conference in the morning of 1 June stating that Mr Hunt had taken recreational drugs in the lead up to his disappearance. DFAT made contact with Mr Hunt’s family on the day he was reported missing on 24 May, and has maintained close contact since then.

Australian Embassy officials are in Rio de Janeiro to provide support to Mr Hunt’s family members who travelled to Brazil on 1 June. All possible consular assistance is being provided to the family.

The Embassy is continuing to work closely with Brazilian authorities as their search and investigation operation continues.

We remain hopeful that Mr Hunt will be found safe and well, but continue to hold concerns for his safety.

Earlier ...

THE family of missing Australian backpacker Rye Hunt have said they’re “understandably cautious” over reports Mr Hunt has been found alive.

Brazilian police believe they have found the Tasmanian “alive and well” on an island in Rio after he disappeared without a trace from a Rio de Janeiro airport.

Overnight reports surfaced alleging Mr Hunt had taken a number of “local drugs” before his disappearance and had a “psychotic episode” which lead him to the island where was discovered.

Brazilian police allege that instead of swallowing the drug in diluted water, Mr Hunt sniffed MDMA in powder format.

Police are trying to verify that the man they have is Mr Hunt but are yet to make any official confirmations.

Mr Hunt’s sister, Romany Brodribb, told news.com.au this morning the family “had not been told anything” by authorities and were anxiously awaiting news.

“We have no confirmation, we’re so reluctant,” Ms Brodribb said.

“We are understandably cautious about taking this information as fact. We’re really, really hopeful but I’m curious to know what their source is.

“We’ve also not heard from Brazilian police so there’s a part of me that’s a tiny bit sceptical.

“Obviously this is really heart wrenching for all of us. That's all I can say.”

Mr Hunt had planned a six-month world trip with travelling companion and mate Mitch Sheppard, starting in Thailand for two weeks, South and Central America for two months — including seven days in Cancun followed by a bus trip to Acapulco — before moving onto a two-month trip around Europe, finishing off in Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest.

MDMA CAUSED ‘PARANOIA’, CLAIMS POLICE

Brazilian police spokeswoman Elen Souta alleged in a press conference Mr Hunt inhaled MDMA before swimming to the uninhabited Cotonduba Island, located off the coast of Rio, approximately three kilometres from Copacabana, after suffering a psychotic episode.

Ms Souta said Mr Hunt and an unidentified companion took the drug MDMA at his hotel, then went to a party at a club in Lapa, located in the centre of Rio.

At the party, they sniffed more MDMA and mixed it with vodka.

It is claimed the pair were both hallucinating after taking the drugs, and were kicked out by security because the travellers thought other partygoers were trying to chase them.

Later, Mr Hunt swam to the island, and was spotted by a witness who said he “was hurt with shellfish scratches and was begging for water to drink.

“The person who saw him asked how he got there and he said he had swam across and that he was Australian.”

Ms Souta also claimed Brazilian firefighters searched the island with sniffer dogs on Monday and Tuesday in a bid to find him.

“It took the firefighters an hour and a half to enter the ... island, they took their dogs in,” she said.

But Mr Hunt’s family claims this is out of character for the 25-year-old.

“Rye works in the mining industry which requires regular tests for illegal substance used by employees and contractors. A test Rye has never failed,” they said in a statement overnight.

“Use of illicit substances is out of character for Rye and his family will require significant evidence to verify these claims.”

Ms Souta said she believed authorities figured Mr Hunt, if still alive, had not been in touch with his family because of his mental state.

TIMELINE OF MISSING AUSTRALIAN

Mr Hunt went missing on May 21 after he argued with Mr Sheppard over their next travel destination.

The travellers engaged in a verbal stoush over the pair’s travel plans, and were at Galeao International Airport to book a flight to Bolivia.

Mr Sheppard apparently then suggested the pair leave Brazil — a month ahead of schedule — and travel to Bolivia.

Mr Hunt agreed and they took a taxi to Rio international airport before having an argument at a coffee shop.

Apparently Mr Hunt accused his 22-year-old friend of stealing his passport and trying to kill him.

Mr Hunt went to “cool off” after the May 21 disagreement but vanished after footage revealed he hopped a taxi at the airport instead of meeting his mate to catch a flight to Bolivia.

It was 2:30pm local time in Rio.

The travelling duo had agreed to meet after half-an-hour, but in a strange twist Mr Hunt chose a new direction.

“They hadn’t booked a flight; they went to the airport with the intention of buying a ticket and looked online for flights,” Mr Hunt’s sister, Romany Brodribb, told news.com.au.

But when a fight erupted between the pair over the destination, Mr Hunt stormed off and was never to be seen again.

“They had a disagreement. My brother, as much as I love him to absolute bits, if he gets a bit grumpy about something he needs a little time to cool off sometimes,” Ms Brodribb said.

“I believe the disagreement had something to do with Bolivia and when they should be going and what they should do when they get there.

“He and Mitch had been travelling for seven weeks. It was the first disagreement they’d had in that time.”

Tasmanian man Rye Hunt was missing last seen in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Picture: SUPPLIED

Brazilian police spokeswoman Elen Souta.

Ms Brodribb suspects the long-time friends had the disagreement, Mr Hunt “got into a grump”, and Mr Sheppard suggested the pair “cool off” before meeting up in half an hour.

“I suspect that Rye probably was grumpy with Mitch and has left the airport and jumped,” Ms Brodribb said.

After his disagreement with Mr Sheppard, CCTV footage captured Mr Hunt checking into a Copacabana apartment.

Mr Hunt’s family confirmed he checked into the room an hour after leaving the airport, at approximately 2:30pm.

Almost three hours later, at 6:20pm, he left the apartment and hadn’t been seen since the latest reports.

The 25-year-old bought some beer, CCTV footage shows, before leaving his room wearing thongs.

Authorities scoured Mr Hunt’s Copacabana apartment and found his laptop, backpack, a camera and numerous other personal items.

The uninhabited island of Cotonduba.

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