Three years after vanishing without a trace, a man and his three kidnapped children have been spotted hiking in the wilderness of New Zealand.
Tom Phillips was seen with his children Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8, on Thursday, October 3 in a remote area near Marokopa on the country's North Island, according to New Zealand Police.
Grainy video shared by local media shows four figures in camouflage gear
and large backpacks, walking along rugged farmland in a single file. The adult leading the way was also reportedly carrying a large rifle.
The footage was captured by two teenage pig hunters who live on a farm nearby and turned over to police.
"This was a credible sighting, and Police believe it was indeed Tom and his children," Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said in a statement.
It's the first confirmed sighting of all four since they disappeared in December 2021, when Phillips, who did not have legal custody, fled with the children after a dispute with their mother. Despite several searches and an $80,000 reward, police haven't been able to locate the group.
The grandfather of one of the hunters who spotted the family said the children were all wearing masks and asked if anyone knew they were there.
"The children asked: 'Who else knows we're here?' And then they just kept on walking. They were all packed up, they had big packs on, "John McOviney told The New Zealand Herald. "I think the father sort of kept them moving."
After receiving the footage, police increased patrols in the area and launched a search the following morning. But after a three day search, "nothing further of significance" was found, police told The Herald.
"For operational security reasons, we are not providing details of when Police arrived on the ground, or specific details around the resources involved," said Saunders. "While we cannot go into detail, we want to reassure the public that we have the resources in place to respond to any information or reports of sightings that come in."
"Our focus is very much on the safe return of Jayda, Maverick and Ember to their [family] and we are doing all that we can to make that happen," he added.
While the search continues, the children's mother remains hopeful.
"I'm so happy that they're all there," Cat told The Herald. "I'm so relieved to see all three of my babies. They're all alive."