Mother of missing children in Marokopa thanks searchers and support crews

Monday, 20 September 2021

A father and his three children are missing from Marokopa, but the search continues, nine days after they were last seen.

The mother of three children missing from a west coast settlement in the King Country has thanked search and rescue teams.

It’s been nine days since Thomas Phillips and his children, Jayda Jin, 8, Maverick, 6, and Ember, 5, were last seen after Phillips’ ute was found below the tideline at Kiritehere Beach on September 11.

The mother and extended family extended their “utmost thanks and gratitude” on Monday.

In a statement from police, the family thanked Waikato Police Search and Rescue staff, Waitomo and Hamilton LandSAR, Hamilton LandSAR, Fire and Emergency NZ and Surf Live Saving NZ.

Surf Lifesaving NZ search and rescue manager Allan Mundy talks about the search for the missing family (first published on September 17).

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Surf Lifesaving crews continue to search of the father and his three children at Marokopa.

“We also want to thank the air support units who have been helping with the search, the local iwi and community for their support, and preparation of food donations, any koha given and the families of everyone mentioned for supporting them during their time helping our family,” the statement read.

“We have been incredibly humbled by the generosity and support shown by everyone during this difficult time.

“We all just want Tom, Jayda, Maverick and Ember home.”

Jayda Jin, 8, Maverick Callum-Phillips, 6, and Ember Phillips, 5, and their father Thomas Phillips, 34, are missing.

Police are now asking members of the public who have any photos or video footage showing the weather or sea conditions at both Marokopa and Kiritehere on the weekend of September 11 and 12, to make contact.

Police say anyone with information can 105 and quote file number 210913/1952.

The search and rescue operation remained in full swing on Monday, although the daily search base was stood down and surf lifesavers put on standby.

Searchers have been scouring the rugged terrain for a week, using drones, helicopters and planes to search from above and lifesavers to search the sea and others to search on land.

Waikato West Area Commander Inspector Will Loughrin said police are doing shoreline searches in the areas at low tide.

Searches by air are being undertaken by a Coastguard NZ air patrol using a fixed-wing plane, a local helicopter operator with police air observers on board, and the police drone.

Surf Lifesaving NZ hasn’t been on the water since Friday.

Search and rescue manager Allan Mundy told Stuff surf lifesaving crews from Tauranga, Taranaki and Raglan are on standby waiting to hear if police need them again.

“We cleared our tasking on Friday afternoon, all areas we were tasked to search that LAND SAR couldn’t get to we were able to search thoroughly and we completed our task.”

Last week, they made the most of the still seas, tracking kilometres up the coast to Taharoa, while swimmers searched caves and boats scoured the deep waters.

New teams came in on Sunday to refresh the existing teams, and included police staff working with drones.

Police said on Saturday they had accounted for a Honda motorcycle they believed Phillips had recently owned, and were satisfied it was not linked to the family’s disappearance. Help was still needed to identify the whereabouts of a smaller 2019 Honda CRF50.