“There were a group of seven water operations members that came down last Thursday,” Superintendent Trent Cox told the ABC.
“They conducted three dives before weather stopped that effort. Unfortunately they were not able to find Lewis.
“The grim reality is he’s unlikely now ever to be found.”
A family friend has started a GoFundMe appeal for the family to help pay for funeral costs. Photo / GoFundMe
Cox told the ABC police would still respond if they were called to check washed-up material.
“It doesn’t mean that from time to time we won’t get called to investigate something that may have washed up,” he said.
“But for now there’s no formal search effort underway.”
Cox asked the public to stop “rubbish” rumours circulating online.
“What I’d like to see happen is a lot of the community chatter that’s going on social media to stop,” he said.
“I know that’s probably pie-in-the-sky thinking.
“Where there are gaps in information where the community’s not in possession of [that information], for that to be filled with the rubbish that we’re seeing out there helps nobody and it’s incredibly distressing I’m sure for Mr Wright and the extended family.
“We understand the community’s need for information, but we have a duty and a moral obligation and a legislative obligation to the coroner to ensure only factual information is provided,” Cox said.
South Australian authorities have stopped the search for the missing 3-month-old son of Helena Wright (pictured inset). Main photo / Google Maps
Separately, the deceased woman’s husband, Brad Wright, has made his first public comments since the deaths.
Brad Wright made a return to social media responding to a post from his local federal MP.
Liberal MP Tony Pasin, who represents the South Australian electorate of Barker, shared a fundraising appeal established by a family friend to support the Wright family and revealed he had contributed $200 to the campaign.
Among the small number of responses was a comment from a Facebook account using the name “Bee Dubs”, which has been verified by the Daily Mail Australia as belonging to Wright.
“Thank you, Tony. I appreciate you sharing this,” Wright commented.
The GoFundMe has raised A$39,869 ($47,954) as of writing.