Lesley Fernando told the inquest on Thursday the family "begged" police for help - or to at least give them information to assist in their own search - after other resources had been stood down.

"We kept asking where to look, we had no idea where to look; we asked, please tell us something," Ms Fernando said.

She said she was "shut down" multiple times when calling the station.

"He said, 'Lesley stop calling; there is nobody here to talk to you'," she told the court.

After deciding to return to the station for more information, the family spoke with the sergeant on duty and "begged" him to speak with the detective to reactivate the search.

Ms Fernando said the sergeant returned with a message that there was nothing further they could do and explained their roles, and that the detective out-ranked him.

"We asked, please give us something to help; we don't know where to look," she said.

"He left the room, came back and had a post-it note and handed it to me. It said 500m west of the bridge. That was the resources that we were given to look for our loved one - a post-it note."

Mr Copeland's body was found three months after he disappeared into the Gwydir River at Moree during a police incident in the early hours of July 10, 2021.

The coronial inquest into the 22-year-old Gomeroi man's death began in the town on Monday, July 18.

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During the second coordinated search three days after anyone had seen or heard from Mr Copeland, Ms Fernando said a senior police officer had approached her as she stood alone on the riverbank.

"He introduced himself and went on to tell a story about how he had been pigging a few weeks before in that area, south of where Gordon was seen last," Ms Fernando said.

"He said, 'I caught a pig; I came back the next day and the other pigs ate that pig, so you really want to hope that Gordon is in the water and is not on land'.

"I was disgusted. My gut turned; it was so revolting. To have that vision in my mind as he's speaking those words, there was nothing to describe my feelings; it was gross. I was so mortified by that conversation."

Ms Fernando told the inquest that the actions - or lack thereof - of police, were "utterly disgusting".

"This will stick with us for the rest of our lives, but the last 12 months is not something we can ever get over.

"The evidence brought in the court ... the actions on that video, that will now live with us forever.

"We will never un-see that or un-hear that."

Ms Fernando said that for eight long months the family had been preparing themselves for the inquest, to be emotionally present and to hold strong together.

She told the inquest that on its first day, she and Mr Copeland's mother drove to his partner's house to check on her and their two young children.

She said one of the little boys pointed to her t-shirt with Mr Copeland's face on it, held up his hands and said "where's my dad?".

Mr Copeland's mother Narelle Copeland gave evidence on Thursday, telling the inquest of a possible reason he may have ran away from police.

She said he was scared of police and didn't trust them.

"He was bashed by the police, dragged out of a car, hit on his motorbike by a police car," Ms Copeland said.

She said she had been "going crazy" trying to get information and more assistance from police and even had a panic attack when she arrived in Moree.

Ms Copeland explained the lengths the family and community had gone to in order to continue the search for her son.

She said they never stopped and were out looking every day.

A fundraiser, and a $20,000 donation by one of Mr Copeland's friends, helped with what was needed in the months before he was found, including boats, food, petrol, GoPro cameras, wetsuits and kayaks.

The inquest continues.

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