Search resumes for missing father Tom Phillips and his three children in Marokopa

Saturday, 18 September 2021

Murray Kawhena grew up in Marokopa with Thomas Phillips, who is missing off the Waikato west coast with his three young children.

The search for missing Tom Phillips and his three young children has resumed at Marokopa.

Police say they have accounted for a Honda motorcycle they believed Phillips had recently owned, and were satisfied it was not linked to the family’s disappearance. Police were still asking for assistance to identify the whereabouts of a smaller 2019 Honda CRF50.

Phillips and his children Jayda Jin, 8, Maverick, 6, and Ember, 5, have not been seen since September 11. An intense search of both sea and land has been underway in the Kiritehere and Marokopa areas since Monday, when Phillips’ ute was found below the tideline at Kiritehere Beach.

Police asked that people wanting to help search restrict themselves to the sandy beach areas only, at the two locations.

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Jayda Jin, 8, Maverick Callum-Phillips, 6, and Ember Phillips, 5, are missing off the Waikato west coast by Marokopa with father Thomas Phillips, 34.

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“We understand people want to help, however the search area is extremely challenging, and we don't want a situation where people become injured or trapped, causing another search or rescue incident,” said Waikato west area commander Will Loughrin.

If people located anything they believed might be of interest, searchers were asked to first take a photo, if possible, of where the item was found, and then contact Police on 105, quoting file number 210913/1952.

Police wanted the opportunity to review all items located and then discount them if they were not of significance, said Loughrin.

Police were also strongly encouraging those not yet spoken to, but who had “interactions” with Phillips’ 2004 Toyota Hilux ute while it was on the beach at Marokopa, to contact them as soon as possible.

Teams searching the sea were stood down on Friday but remained on call if needed again, said Allan Mundy national lifesaving manager of Surf Life Saving New Zealand.