Tom Phillips apologises after emerging from bush with kids

October 3, 2021
It’s still not clear why Thomas Phillips took his three children camping for 18 days.

Tom Phillips has expressed remorse for his actions, after disappearing into the south Waikato bush with his three children for 19 days.

Phillips and his children, Jayda, eight, Maverick, six, and Ember, five, returned home from Marokopa on September 30 after living in a tent in dense bush for over two weeks.

In a statement to Newshub, Phillips said he is "remorseful and humbled for the unintended trouble he has caused".

"We, the family of Thomas, Jayda, Maverick and Ember Phillips wish to express our relief and joy at their safe return, well and happy," they said. "In these uncertain times with so many added pressures Tom's decision to go camping without letting anyone know was obviously distressing to everybody.

"Since his return, on gaining an understanding of what lengths have been gone to, to ensure their safe return and the distress caused, he is remorseful and humbled for the unintended trouble he has caused.

"He is now coming to terms with the horrific ordeal we have been put through, thinking that they were possibly all dead."

Search and rescue teams had combed the area of Kiritehere and Marokopa since September 13, looking for the family after Phillips’ ute was found at Kiritehere Beach.

The daily search for the family was suspended on September 24 after no sign of them was found.

But last Thursday morning the missing family returned back to their family farm unannounced.

Police said Tom and the kids were in dense bush about 15 kilometres south of Kiritehere Beach, among rugged terrain.

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