The physical search for missing Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez has been suspended, but volunteers in Byron Bay plan to continue scouring the area.

Theo, 18, was last seen leaving the Cheeky Monkey’s bar about 11pm on 31 May.

The last “ping” from Theo’s phone was recorded on 1 June in the area around the Cape Byron Lighthouse.

Although the physical search for Theo was suspended over the weekend, detectives said they would continue to go through information provided to them, a New South Wales police spokesman said.

They said they would assess whether to continue the physical search on Monday, however, that did not stop volunteers from rallying together on Sunday.

Local volunteers were set to gather at 9am at a sports field in Byron Bay to coordinate search efforts.

Police search the area around Cape Byron Lighthouse last week for missing backpacker Theo Hayez. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

“We can’t stress enough that we need more community volunteers,” Sheri S’Rosario wrote on the Facebook group “Looking for Theo Hayez”.

The callout came after Theo’s father Laurent Hayez reached out to thank Byron Bay locals.

“Your warmness and kindness is like a balm on our bleedin’ heart,” Hayez posted to a group for the Byron Bay community on Friday night.

“You give us force and faith. We love u from the earth to the moon (What Theo told me one evening in his bed at age of five) ... “

Detective Inspector Matt Kehoe also took to the Facebook group to thank the Byron Bay community.

“The kindness, compassion and selflessness of everyone involved demonstrates what a wonderful place this truly is,” Kehoe said in a statement on Saturday. “Sadly our search efforts ... do not have any more answers for Theo’s family.”

However, through time spent with Theo’s family, Kehoe said he is “strengthened to continue our efforts” to locate the teenager.

Last Monday Laurent Hayez made an emotional plea for help, begging encrypted chat service WhatsApp to grant police access to his son’s final known conversations.

The company provided what information they could but were unable to access the content of the messages.

Belgian police are also working in Europe to speak with people Theo may have contacted in those hours.

More than $70,000 has been raised via a GoFundMe page for the family, part of which was used to help Laurent Hayez fly to Australia.