Major update in search for missing Kiwi woman Kaya Awhitu after she disappeared in Bali
- Kaya Awhitu has been found
- She was noticed by tourists
A 21-year-old New Zealand woman who disappeared for three days in Bali has been found.
Kaya Awhitu traveled to the Indonesian holiday island last Thursday, October 3, but her family called for help after being unable to reach her from Sunday.
On Wednesday evening, a family member shared the news that Ms Awhitu had been found by tourists.
‘She was able to contact us. She is safe with someone we trust,” they said.
The news comes after Indonesian police revealed that Ms Awhitu had never stayed at the accommodation address provided by her family.
“New Zealand woman Kaya Awhitu never stayed at Rumah Surga Villa,” Ubud police chief Gusti Nyoman Sudarsana told Daily Mail Australia.
Police checked the villa on Wednesday morning and discovered that Ms Awhitu had never been a guest there.
“Now that we are getting information that she was last seen at Rumah Surga Villa, we have already checked into the villa,” Mr Sudarsana said.
‘All guests staying at Rumah Surga Villa rent the villa on a monthly basis and all guests have been staying there since last year. There was no guest who rented the villa on a daily basis.’
Relative Shar Roberts said Ms Awhitu’s family were concerned after she failed to meet her partner to get to their next destination in Bali.
“They were supposed to meet by boat to go to the next place, but she didn’t show up,” she said in a video on Facebook.
‘He went back to the villa where they were staying and everything was packed. We were really worried because she hasn’t had any contact with anyone since Sunday, especially her sons.
“If anyone hears anything, she will be grounded if we hear from her, but please let us know that her family and friends are really concerned.”
Ms Roberts returned to Facebook on Wednesday evening to share the “positive update” Ms Awhitu had found.
“She contacted us… It was a tourist in Bali who saw the post and let her use the phone to call us,” she said.
“She was hacked. She got an e-SIM card and she got hacked, her entire phone.
‘She can’t log in [bank]all her cards have been hacked and she has nothing on her.”
Ms Roberts thanked everyone who shared the post and helped find Ms Awhitu.
“Hopefully we’ll get her back tomorrow (Thursday),” she said.
There’s more to come.
New Zealand woman Kaya Awhitu (pictured) has been found after she went missing for three days while on holiday in Bali
Shar Roberts (pictured) said they were concerned after Kaya failed to meet her partner to get to their next destination on the Indonesian island