VIDEO. He disappeared with his three children after an argument: 3 years later, the father is spotted with them in the wilderness
|Le père et ses trois enfants ont été aperçus par un groupe de chasseurs jeudi dernier. CAPTURE ECRAN YOUTUBE
The father had vanished in 2021 with his three children without a trace. It was only three years later, on Thursday, October 3, 2024, that he was spotted in a remote area of New Zealand by a group of hunters.
Tom Phillips had fled after a domestic dispute in September 2021 and disappeared with his three children, Ember, 8, Maverick, 9, and Jayda, 11, without a trace.
But according to a video relayed by the New Zealand Herald and the Guardian, he was spotted with them last Thursday, three years later, in the Marokopa region, a remote area of New Zealand, reports the New-Zealand Herald.
The father carried a weapon
Although a search warrant was issued by New Zealand police and an arrest warrant was issued for him at the time, nothing has been done to locate the father of the family in the last three years. Until this Thursday, October 3.
A group of hunters spotted a man and his children walking near their farm in the Waikato region, along the west coast of the North Island.
They were wearing camouflage clothing and, as a bonus, a firearm for the father, last Thursday. The hunters, seeing Phillips' gun, decided not to interact further and called the New Zealand authorities.
"They were carrying big backpacks"
They also decided to film the scene. The children who accompanied their father then allegedly asked from a distance if “anyone knew they were there” , before heading off into the bushes following their father.
“They were carrying large sacks back", one of the hunters told the New Zealand Herald, which obtained& nbsp;the video. “I think the father made them move forward”, he added.
Following the video, New Zealand police described the information as “credible” and launched investigations in the area indicated. Two helicopters scoured the area over the weekend, but the search unfortunately turned up nothing: “We are doing everything we can to ensure Jayda, Maverick and Ember are returned to their families,”, said Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders, who is in charge of the investigation.
A reward is up for grabs
When the children's mother Cat saw the video, she said she was “relieved” and told The New Zealand Herald : "I'm so happy to know they're all still alive".
The father was last seen in November, when he stole a quad bike from a rural property and broke into a shop with one of the children in Piopio, according to The Herald.
New Zealand authorities have offered a $48,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Tom Phillips. They have also warned that the father is armed and dangerous and have asked people not to approach him.