Theo Hayez

Théo Hayez, an 18-year-old Belgian backpacker, vanished from Byron Bay on the night of May 31, 2019, after leaving Cheeky Monkey's bar. His phone's GPS data showed him walking through bushland towards the Cape Byron lighthouse before all signals ceased at 1:42am. Despite extensive searches involving police, SES, divers, and volunteers, his body has never been found. A $500,000 NSW Government reward remains active.

Théo Jean Hayez arrived in Australia on November 12, 2018, beginning a working holiday that took him from Melbourne to Tasmania, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and finally to Byron Bay. The 18-year-old Belgian backpacker checked into the Wake Up! Hostel on May 29, 2019, planning to continue south to Sydney.

On the night of May 31, 2019, Théo attended a barbecue at his hostel before walking to Cheeky Monkey's bar with fellow backpackers, arriving at 9:35pm. He was asked to leave around 11pm, reportedly for "approaching intoxication." What followed has baffled investigators ever since.

Google Timeline data shows Théo began walking away from the bar at 11:07pm, entering his hostel's address into Google Maps. Instead of heading directly back, his phone tracked him through suburban streets towards Arakwal National Park. At times he was moving at 7.5km/h through pitch-black bushland—essentially jogging through difficult terrain in the dark.

He reached Tallow Beach at 11:48pm and walked to Cosy Corner at the northern end. Just before midnight, he entered dense bush towards a steep hill, stopped for 5.5 minutes in thick lantana, then returned to the beach. GPS tracking ended at 12:05am on June 1.

Théo's phone remained active for some time after. At 12:20am he messaged a friend about U2, at 12:23am he watched a French comedy video, and at 12:55am he sent his final message—"Merci" with a kiss emoji to his step-sister in Belgium. The last phone signal was detected at 1:42pm in the Cape Byron vicinity.

When Théo failed to check out on June 3 and didn't respond to messages for six days, his family raised the alarm. His belongings, including his passport, were still at the hostel. A massive search operation ensued, involving NSW Police, SES crews, the dog squad, police divers, helicopters, and hundreds of volunteers.

On July 7, 2019, volunteers found a grey Puma cap in bushland near Tallow Beach, precisely matching one of Théo's last GPS locations. DNA testing was inconclusive.

The NSW Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan held an inquest in late 2021 and delivered findings on October 21, 2022. She concluded that Théo is deceased but was unable to determine the cause or manner of death. Suicide was deemed highly unlikely, and there was no evidence he intentionally vanished. The mystery of what happened to Théo Hayez in those final hours remains unsolved.

A $500,000 NSW Government reward is offered for information leading to the discovery of Théo's whereabouts or disclosing the circumstances of his disappearance.