A father and his three children, missing for nearly three years after vanishing into the New Zealand wilderness, have reportedly been seen for the first time since their disappearance.
Tom Philips and his children—daughter Jayda (now 11), son Maverick (9), and daughter Ember (8)—were last seen in December 2021 after leaving their hometown of Marokopa on the country’s North Island.
New footage, captured on October 3, shows four figures dressed in camouflage walking across the rolling hills near their former home. While the footage is grainy, police confirmed the sighting as credible, marking the first confirmation that all three children are alive and together since they vanished.
The children’s mother, Catherine, expressed immense relief after seeing the footage. Speaking to the *New Zealand Herald*, she said, “I’m so happy that they’re all there. I’m so relieved to see all three of my babies. They’re all alive.”
However, Catherine has previously voiced concerns about her children’s well-being, criticising Philips for endangering their health by living in the wilderness. She has highlighted that their daughter Ember has asthma and requires medical care. “What Thomas is doing is not OK. It is child neglect, it is child abandonment, it is child abuse,” Catherine said, adding, “My babies deserve better.”
Police Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders confirmed that investigators are assessing the information from the latest sighting to determine the next steps. He emphasised that sighting all three children is “positive” and would reassure their wider family.
Tom Philips first disappeared with the children in September 2021. They lived in a tent in the dense bushland before returning to their farm 18 days later. However, they disappeared again in December 2021, with the last confirmed sighting on December 9.
Philips is wanted for failing to appear in court in January 2022, where he was charged with causing the wasteful deployment of police resources during the earlier disappearance. He is also a suspect in an alleged armed robbery of a bank in Te Kuiti in September 2023.
Despite more than 40 reported sightings since their disappearance, police have warned the public not to approach Philips, as he is considered potentially dangerous. Inspector Saunders suggested that Philips may have had assistance while on the run and noted that immunity from prosecution could be offered to anyone who provides information that leads to the children’s safe return.
Authorities continue to search for the family as efforts intensify following the latest sighting, hoping to bring the children back to safety.
