A body has washed up on a NSW central coast beach near the town where missing teenager Matthew Appleby disappeared.
The 16-year-old, A-grade student vanished on the morning of October 18 after dropping his younger brother off at a primary school in Terrigal.
He was expected to walk to nearby Terrigal High School but never arrived.
A body was discovered by a member of the public at Forresters Beach, north of Terrigal, about 4pm (AEDT) on Monday, police said.
It has not been formally identified but police are investigating the possibility it may be the teenager.
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Despite searches, dozens of potential leads and unconfirmed sightings as far away as Queensland, police were unable to find Matthew.
There was speculation he could have gone walkabout in the nearby Kincumba Mountain Reserve area, leading to another extensive but fruitless search.
Several of his belongings were found on Avoca Beach, including his school bag and two shoes, several days after he disappeared.
