Fresh twist in case of missing backpacker Theo Hayez as it is revealed he was wearing something unexpected before his disappearance
- New details emerge in missing persons case, showing never-before-seen watch
- Looking for Theo Hayez group calls for information on watch make, model, brand
- Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez, 18, was last seen leaving Byron Bay bar in 2019
- He was last seen wearing black jumper, tan pants, black shoes, a grey Puma hat
An army of volunteers who have led the search for missing Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez have spotted new details about the watch he was wearing when he vanished.
The tourist, who was 18 at the time, was last seen leaving Cheeky Monkey's bar in Byron Bay, northern New South Wales, on May 31, 2019, after being asked to leave about 11pm.
He was staying at the Wake Up! hostel, and was wearing a black hooded jumper, tan pants, black shoes and watch, and a grey Puma hat.
The hat was found five weeks later but police called off the search and referred his disappearance to the NSW coroner after failing to find any trace of him.
Now, the search team have taken to the Looking for Théo Hayez Facebook page asking for help to identify the 'make, brand and model' of his digital wristwatch.
The Looking for Theo Hayez Facebook group is calling for more information on the make, brand and model of the watch the missing Belgian backpacker was last seen wearing on May 31, 2019 (pictured)
Theo Hayez was last seen leaving Cheeky Monkey's restaurant and bar at Byron Bay in New South Wales on May 31, 2019, after being asked to leave about 11pm (pictured)
'We recently found out that the black watch that Theo was wearing wasn't the one we thought but a new one rather similar,' a post on the page read.
'The display (digital only, no hands) and the straps are different.
'Please have a look at this photo. Can you help us to identify the make, brand and model?'
Many of the group's 16,000 followers were quick to identify it as a G-Shock watch, but others questioned its authenticity, with some pointing out it could be a 'knock off' or a 'cheapie if purchased from a market'.
'Have sold G-Shock for over 30 years. I’m not convinced it’s a G-Shock by the casing and strap the way it sits,' one person commented under the post.
'I've been looking at Casio G-Shocks all morning and I'm not convinced it's one either ... All the G-Shocks, even the older types, have a rounded insignia at the Top. Theo's has a straight one,' another said.
'There are so many models in this type and lots of cheap copies so depends on where he got it,' a third follower wrote.
Theo Hayez (pictured) was reportedly wearing a black hooded jumper, tan pants, black shoes and a grey Puma hat the night of his disappearance
The tourist (pictured with his girlfriend, Severine Marcotty) was reportedly also wearing a black watch - a detail the Looking for Theo Hayez Facebook group is calling for more information on
Data from Hayez's phone has traced this route as his last known movements before he vanished on the night of May 31, 2019
The urgent appeal for information about Hayez's watch comes after the backpacker's cousin, Lisa Hayez, speculated he might have been with a mystery person on the night of his disappearance.
She claimed Google data tracked the tourist walking 'a very unusual path through thick bushland', which 'leads us to believe someone must have been with him.'
'After we were able to access his google data, we realised that the night he disappeared, he walked a very unusual path through thick bushland that is impossible to imagine that he walked alone,' she said in June.
The leading theory in Hayez's disappearance is he fell while trying to climb cliffs near Tallows Beach and his body washed away.
Staff at Wake Up! notified authorities of his disappearance when they found his belongings - including his passport - untouched several days later.
Police began a land, sea and air searches with efforts continued well into 2020.
A grey Puma cap, believed to have belong to Hayez, was discovered in bushland off Tallows Beach and police conducted DNA tests on hair found in it.
Although the testing was inconclusive, Hayez's family were certain it belonged to the missing backpacker.
The hat was found by a member of the public in the same area where the last 'ping' from Theo's phone was recorded on June 1 around the Cape Byron Lighthouse.
'Because Byron is such a transit town, travellers come and go every day,' Ms Hayez said in the video.
In the lead up to this confirmation, the Belgian backpacker's father, Laurent Hayez (pictured), called for calm in the search for both missing people
Search efforts for the 19-year-old continued well into 2020, with police conducting DNA tests on hair found in what is believed to be Theo's grey cap (pictured), which was discovered in bushland off Tallows Beach
A missing persons flyer of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez, 18, on a sign at Byron Bay in NSW
'Someone might have been with him or seen him and might not have even known he had gone missing.'
Hayez's family posted a heartfelt message on the Looking For Theo Facebook group in May, thanking those who had helped to search for the backpacker - as well as giving an insight into the latest police efforts in 2020.
'Since the beginning of the year, we have spoken less publicly about developments,' the post read.
'Far from us giving up hope or dedication, the main reason is because the ongoing police process means we need to be careful about what we say.
'We think about Theo every minute and would like to share any information that may help find out what happened to him - but we have to be careful that we also give the police the best chance of finding this out.
'It breaks our hearts every day and we hope that they will soon have some clarity for us.'
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