Secret way New Zealand dad on the run may have hid with his three kidnapped children for THREE YEARS: Bushtracker details theory
A father who has been on the run with his children for three years may have evaded law enforcement by hiding in a network of caves across New Zealand’s wilderness.
Tom Phillips disappeared with Jayda, 11, Maverick, nine, and Ember, eight, near his parents’ estate in Marokopa, south of Auckland, in December 2021 after a custody battle with their mother, Cat.
There was great fear for the children’s lives until the evening of October 3, when a group of teenage pig hunters filmed them walking along private property just a few kilometers from where they went missing.
They were all dressed in camouflage and carrying large backpacks.
When the police arrived on the scene the next morning, it was too late. Phillips and his children had once again disappeared into the vast expanses of rugged hills and overgrown forests that dotted the Waikato region.
Private investigator Chris Budge told local media that he himself had joined the search for the family, but was struck by the sheer number of places they could have hidden, including networks of caves, which Phillips is said to be familiar with.
Professional bush tracker Jake Cassar told Daily Mail Australia there are a range of methods and technologies that police could use to track down the family, but hiding in caves would be an effective way for Phillips to evade technology.
Tom Phillips (pictured), disappeared with Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8, from the New Zealand town of Marokopa in December 2021
Jayda (right, now 11), Maverick (center), 9, and Ember (left), 8, disappeared from the New Zealand town of Marokopa three years ago
“Finding people is like finding a needle in a haystack,” he said.
‘A large part of the forest would be impenetrable to drones and motion detection. From a cave it would be impossible to see them from the air, so it could be very difficult.”
The Waikato region is known for its caves, many of which are on the tourist trail because they contain glow worms.
But only locals know about the natural caves scattered throughout the forest and around the cliffs near the beaches.
Some would only be useful at low tide, but the enclaves around the mountains would provide ample shelter in wet weather.
In addition to infrared drones and motion detectors, Cassar says the police could deploy sniffer dogs and professional trackers who understand what to look for in cases of missing persons.
Initially, dogs were used to search for the Phillips family, but they lost the scent – possibly because it took too long for police to arrive on the scene.
Mr Cassar said scent trails can fade quickly if the surface is hard rock or grass.
Professional Australian bush tracker Jake Cassar (pictured) said caves would be an easy way to evade modern search technologies
Caves and enclaves dot the beaches and forests of the Waikato region (pictured)
Phillips may have scavenged from weather debris in caves like the one pictured in the Waikato region – near where he went missing
Bush tracker Jake Cassar said drones and motion detectors would not have been able to find the Phillips family because they were hiding in caves like the one above in the Waikato region
Like all locals who spoke to Daily Mail Australia, Mr Cassar believes it is likely Phillips received help from others.
“Sometimes in situations like this, individuals can have a bit of a ‘hero’ status towards other people,” he said.
“Before you know it, they look a bit like forest rangers.”
He said it would be entirely possible to thrive off the land for years to come if Phillips knows how to ensure the children get their macronutrients from edible weeds and other plants, in addition to a diet that includes a variety of meats and organs.
Those who live in the area say finding food in the wild would not be difficult as there is an abundance of wild boar, cattle and possums.
But without help, it would be virtually impossible to stay warm in the freezing cold and stay out of sight.
‘It has rained a lot in recent weeks and they have survived two winters. It doesn’t matter how good you are at bushcraft, with three small children you can’t escape the cold and wet,” one man previously told Daily Mail Australia.
Phillips and his children had not been seen for three years before they were spotted on the west coast of New Zealand on October 3 (pictured)
The children’s mother, Catherine, would like to see her children again after three years
“People have to help him.”
The teenage pig hunter who spotted the family initially thought they were poachers, so they filmed the group as they walked over the hills.
They told a girl, whose face was covered by a mask, that the area was private.
She said, “Yeah… duh.
The teen then asked: “Does anyone know you’re here?”
She said, ‘No, just you guys.’
An $80,000 reward was offered for information that would help locate the three children, but it expired after eight weeks with no results.
The official search was called off after a few days.