The search for a missing police officer who is friends with Chris Hemsworth has been called off.
Earlier this week Jay Notaro, 45, disappeared from the New South Wales coastal town of Byron Bay.
The Queensland Police Inspector went missing from Broken Head beach on Tuesday morning, with his surfboard found on the beach with the leg rope attached by a member of the public around 7.30am.
The next morning the Hollywood star, 41, was spotted speaking to officers in the carpark of the beach that Notaro was last seen.
The actor was photographed surrounded by five officers and two police cars, speaking to them as the search continued.
Friends of Notaro told the Courier Mail he regularly drove down from his Gold Coast home to surf with Hemsworth and former pro surfer Luke Munro.
The police officer had reportedly been due to attend a birthday dinner on Tuesday night with his friends but cancelled after telling them he was unwell.
He was last seen on CCTV pulling into the Broken Head car park at around dawn on Tuesday.
After four days, the news the search had been called off and he was now presumed dead was announced by Notaro’s father.
‘The family is of course naturally devastated. This hole in our lives will never be filled. We are heart broken. Such a tragic accident,’ he wrote in a statement posted on Facebook.
‘Conditions this week have been horrendous, and we can’t thank the NSW and Queensland Police enough for a remarkable response.
‘Plus, all the friends and colleagues that attended to help in any way they could. And the onslaught of messages. It’s been truly humbling and heartwarming. But we fully understand that they had to call it. The search was intensive. Now we wait for Mother Nature to decide if she will return him to us.’
Police confirmed on Friday evening local time the search had been unsuccessful.
‘This is an incredibly difficult time for our organisation, and our thoughts are with Jay’s family, friends and colleagues as we continue to navigate this tragic situation,’ acting commissioner of police Shane Chelepy said, as reported by News.com.au.
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‘I want to sincerely thank our NSW Police counterparts, and everyone involved in the search for their tireless commitment and professionalism under highly challenging and emotional circumstances.
‘I know this situation has impacted many across the QPS and the community.’
They are reported to be working on several theories surrounding Notaro’s disappearance, including foul play, self-harm, a surfing mishap or a medical episode.
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