Australia Australia - Theo Hayez, 18, Belgian backpacker, Byron Bay, June 2019

[Sambam89]

Such a shame nothing of interest was noted on their search today

 

[Matlock]

A 'ping' can simply happen when a phone is looking for a tower to connect to or a more favourable connection. It can 'ping' towers to determine which provides the best connection. In this case the range of the towers at the Cape and the distance to others and their range makes it possible that only the tower(s) at the Cape were pinged.

This can happen during start up. The phone IMEI is sent which enables lost or stolen phones to be located.

I read somewhere that a tower would be 'pinged' from where a call (& text?) was originated from (a tower near Antoine). So therefore the 'ping' (Theo's phone location ping) would not be from Antoine's message?
I may not be correct though, as I admit I'm not a phone tower expert!

 

[BusterXP]

I read somewhere that a tower would be 'pinged' from where a call (& text?) was originated from (a tower near Antoine). So therefore the 'ping' (Theo's phone location ping) would not be from Antoine's message?
I may not be correct though, as I admit I'm not a phone tower expert!

Technically a ping is a request. It’s like a nudge to ask something like ‘are you there?’ or ‘are you awake?’ Servers can get pinged, your modem can get pinged but the response is usually turned off.
The term is being used very loosely in the media regarding this. It could mean a ping to a server app or a ping to a tower or ..
If it was a ping for a message request then that would need a persistent connection and would be to the application’s server. He would have been connected to the tower and other data would have been transmitted during that connection (authorisation to log into background services including Google, possible update if location - list goes on).

Any details about who Theo contacted are unconfirmed along with a lot here.

 

[Aron.Wor]

That’s actually really, really creepy. These camp people could intermingle with backpackers easily if youngish and easy going enough wouldn’t you say? They’d know the paths well too.

You’ve really fleshed out the path he took. I was wondering why he choose the wiggly one down to the beach rather than the more conventional track. Look he must have felt ok with his companion/s.

There are heaps of bush campers in BB. It's only creepy because of the context. The bush campers are generally nothing to worry about. I cannot say that confidently in every case, but most of the people that camp out in the scrub just don't want to be discovered. If TH came across one on his journey, I wouldn't suspect an altercation without provocation.

 

[mussopossum]

I'm not very techno. I don't quite get how all.this phone message and 'ping' stuff works. I have an Oppo phone and if my phone is in sleep mode if a message has been sent then a little light will flash on the left hand top side of my phone. Do you mean that a 'ping' to the tower will not happen until the phone is opened and the message is actually read? Or would this only be the case when a phone has been turned off ie: A mesage will not show as being received if the other person's phone is switched to off so then a 'ping' would be delayed until it's switched on? Can someone please clarify all this?

I did some reading on this with the OPPO phone it has a couple different features on it for DND.

To my knowledge and understanding from what I have read online a phone will ping the towers when it is searching for information.

This will vary on each phone and depending what notifications that you have set up.

Flight mode and sleep mode switch off the receiving end so that you are not disturbed or the signal cannot come through the phone, just as you are on an aircraft. I believe OPPO has a feature that in sleep mode you can add contacts or apps to override this but nothing else, so if you wanted your parents to be able to contact you in event of an emergency they still could but no further notification would come through.

When a phone is first switched on it will start searching for the carrier, IE Telstra and when it locates the signal there is your ping.

Google Maps, Facebook Gmail etc anything that you have notification alerts set to on and or location services again will be searching for that signal to locate you or to send you a notification / email / sms etc.

I think of it in a way of your telco / wifii/bluetooth signal sending information to your phone based on your settings.

If you are in DND, flight mode, sleep mode I believe this cancels this ability to ping the phone. As soon as the phone is switched on and taken out of these status it opens the lines of reciving communication therefore will ping.

I am not tech nut however from my reading this is what I understand only and all IMO.

 

[insearchoflight]

It may be creepy to you or I to walk that path alone, but we don’t know Theo’s state of mind. He could have very well done it alone just wandering and found a way. Not saying for sure he was alone but I can’t come to the conclusion he wasn’t alone based on creepiness factor/knowing the area or not.

What other factors make it plausible he had met up with someone? The route and waiting at certain spots?

 

[Rocket333]

Did you mean 1am?

Yeah sorry, 1AM.

 

[Rocket333]

It may be creepy to you or I to walk that path alone, but we don’t know Theo’s state of mind. He could have very well done it alone just wandering and found a way. Not saying for sure he was alone but I can’t come to the conclusion he wasn’t alone based on creepiness factor/knowing the area or not.

What other factors make it plausible he had met up with someone? The route and waiting at certain spots?

We don’t know if he was alone or had company, so everything is a supposition based on the bits we do know. His path is unexpected and complicated if alone given he’s been in town for 48 hours. Or is it?

 

[insearchoflight]

We don’t know if he was alone or had company, so everything is a supposition based on the bits we do know. His path is unexpected and complicated if alone given he’s been in town for 48 hours. Or is it?

Hard to say. Could be an accompanied walk by someone familiar or just a random exploring of a lone newcomer. I’m confident the authorities have more information than we do so I suppose they know. If accompanied that paints a darker picture.

 

[sparks030405]

Would be helpful to know from family and police what the undisclosed messages (at least one not given to family) were about. Was he unhappy about something? Did his ex? girlfriend have sex with someone else and then tell him during his trip? Was he struggling with his sexuality? I’m just wondering if he decided that night to suicide? If that’s the case, is all the interest in searching bush more about knowing that and just wanting to recover his body?

 

[Rocket333]

Thanks

Is weird if he hung around anywhere for a bit by himself and didn't message anyone. Especially if he was meeting someone. Surely he had someone with him. Is so strange that noone saw him. (That we know I guess.)

His path was along residential back streets at night, so visibility and cctv would be more limited. I don’t know if that park has any surveillance.
Maybe he was messaging along the way? All we know is that he was using Whatsapp until about 1am.
He left CMs by the side street, and he doesn’t appear to be dithering. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at it. Maybe it was buzzing, maybe it was directions. Maybe he was just going for a stroll... Maybe he went up Tennyson thinking he could continue to the beach, not realising it’s cut off.
What he didn’t do is go up Jonsson (the Main Street in town immediately outside the bar) or Middleton Street (the first street off Kingsley), or main beach, or the centre of town where there’d be things happening.
He chose the second street off Kingsley which took him to the oval where he seems to have hovered. He then chose to wander directly up and around 3 specific streets (without error) that took him directly to the trail entry. Google maps? A companion?
My proposal is that he was alone until he reached the oval, based on him leaving the bar alone and what looks like corrective backtracking until he leaves Cowper Street. After that his path is straight without deviation.

 

[sparks030405]

His path was along residential back streets at night, so visibility and cctv would be more limited. I don’t know if that park has any surveillance.
Maybe he was messaging along the way? All we know is that he was using Whatsapp until about 1am.
He left CMs by the side street, and he doesn’t appear to be dithering. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at it. Maybe it was buzzing, maybe it was directions. Maybe he was just going for a stroll... Maybe he went up Tennyson thinking he could continue to the beach, not realising it’s cut off.
What he didn’t do is go up Jonsson (the Main Street in town immediately outside the bar) or Middleton Street (the first street off Kingsley), or main beach, or the centre of town where there’d be things happening.
He chose the second street off Kingsley which took him to the oval where he seems to have hovered. He then chose to wander directly up and around 3 specific streets (without error) that took him directly to the trail entry. Google maps? A companion?
My proposal is that he was alone until he reached the oval, based on him leaving the bar alone and what looks like corrective backtracking until he leaves Cowper Street. After that his path is straight without deviation.

I'm just throwing in a curveball since there's no proof otherwise. Maybe he was upset, wanted to be alone, was messaging his family or a friend - pacing around a bit not really thinking/caring where he was walking, didn't care about danger of where he went and decided to walk to lighthouse via Tallows tracks, CC, then the rest per my previous post. Could have been at CC for a while thinking about things

 

[Rocket333]

I'm just throwing in a curveball since there's no proof otherwise. Maybe he was upset, wanted to be alone, was messaging his family or a friend - pacing around a bit not really thinking/caring where he was walking, didn't care about danger of where he went and decided to walk to lighthouse via Tallows tracks, CC, then the rest per my previous post. Could have been at CC for a while thinking about things

Anything’s of course possible. I’ve no idea about his personal circumstances or state of mind, apart from all reports indicating he was fine and keen to be heading home in a matter of days. His bus was booked to Sydney, then Melbourne, and his flight on to Belgium. He seems to have had support here with his cousin, godfather and friends. He also seems to have had a great time travelling and working across the country. Everything indicates no concerns or issues, hence me personally red flagging his journey that night as it’s the only thing that sticks out as not conventional or straightforward for someone repeatedly described as organised and careful who is briefly visiting the town, and unfamiliar with the area.

 

[BusterXP]

There are heaps of bush campers in BB. It's only creepy because of the context. The bush campers are generally nothing to worry about. I cannot say that confidently in every case, but most of the people that camp out in the scrub just don't want to be discovered. If TH came across one on his journey, I wouldn't suspect an altercation without provocation.

Totally agree. That's the situation and it has been for a long time.
Some of the campers are backpackers and some camp out after parties.
Geez, some camp out near town so they can protest (unrelated but a reflection on the region).

 

[Rocket333]

What’s your thoughts on the outward movement at the end, at Cosy Corner?

 

[sparks030405]

What’s your thoughts on the outward movement at the end, at Cosy Corner?

Could just be that he tried to go up through dense bush, then had a go of going around the rocks. Trying to get back to Wake Up

 

[mussopossum]

Thanks

Is weird if he hung around anywhere for a bit by himself and didn't message anyone. Especially if he was meeting someone. Surely he had someone with him. Is so strange that noone saw him. (That we know I guess.)

When I am walking on my own im always messaging or on my phone reading something or listening to Spotify online.

So for that distance I would be surprised if he didnt use the time to send few messages on FB or SMS etc so if he didnt it could be as was not on his own.

 

[mussopossum]

I have just had a work colleague who speaks French (or a little French) watch this and said that the laptop with the CCTV in squares images that they are looking at the Belgium police officer is discussing the CCTV between Cheeky Monkeys and the hostel (as in the street CCTV) and are looking for a POI or familiarity of a person between the hostel and CM.

Please note this is not my translation and is also translation from someone who understands a little of French so I cannot verify what he has translated.



Disparition de Théo Hayez en Australie: un policier belge sur place explique les zones d'ombre

Is there anyone here who speaks French at all that is able to translate the entire story?

 

[espirtu pampa]

Hi, I do speak French. About the walk between the Bottleshop and theWake UP ! hostel, the Belgian Police Office says Théo had a few drinks- not many- with friends. The Jorno adds that the Police Officer would not say if they had a lead. The Police Officer explains then, in front of the camera, that they close interesting leads when they come to the conclusion that it can be discarted. After that the Jorno says that all CCTV in the area around CM have been recovered and viewed to no avail.

 

[espirtu pampa]

Sorry I forgot about translating the entire story. The begining is exactly what you all describe. The Police Officer says they came to exchange their respective data and get things straight. That they walked together Théo's trail (red dots). !! Here insert what I wrote in the previous post !!. As to the end re the maps around the lighthouse he explains the space of incertitude : 500 meters, 1 km, 2 km.
Is the post of one of the members comparing the GM and GPS data, trails still here. Which page or what # ? Thanks. BTW The police officer didnt mention the two different tracks.