Two friends who mysteriously vanished while hiking left haunting photos on their digital camera -- with their story continuing to haunt people to this day.

Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22 - two students from Amersfoort in the Netherlands - set off on a six-month trip to Panama back in March 2014.

It was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime, with the friends taking part in some charity work and exploring the country from its busy cities to its quiet, rural borders.

During the trip, the two friends embarked on what was supposed to be a simple five-to-six-hour hike through a forested area near Boquete, close to the Continental Divide of Panama.

At the time, they were scheduled to be staying with a host family in the area, but they never returned. In a concerning development, their pet dog returned safe and sound, leaving the family wondering where the two girls were.

The next morning, the girls were still nowhere to be seen, so the family alerted the authorities, who subsequently launched an investigation into their disappearance.

Both Kremers' and Froon's families also flew out to the area, bringing their own investigators. A 10-day search of the extensive jungle then unfolded.

Days quickly turned into weeks, but there were still no signs of either Kremers or Froon.

However, 10 weeks later in June 2014, the police were alerted to some evidence after a woman turned in a backpack that contained clues linking to the two girls. Inside, there was two pairs of sunglasses, $83 in cash, Lisanne Froon’s passport, a water bottle, and two bras.

There was also their cell phones and Lisanne's Canon Powershot SX270 camera, which contained some haunting photos.

According to All That Is Interesting, over a total of four days, 77 separate attempts had been made to call the police from the phones. Calls were made to both the international emergency number 112, and Panama's national emergency number 911.

Using the call logs, police were able to come up with an outline of the time the girls spent missing in the forests. Only one of the calls went through.

The battery of Froon's Samsung Galaxy S III died on April 4. 

What confused investigators was the fact Kremers iPhone 4 was turned on and off at times between 5 April and 11 April, but the PIN code was never entered correctly.

On the camera, there were also some suspicious shots taken.

Captured in the dead of night, between the hours of 1:00AM and 4:00AM on April 8, the two young women had captured around 90 images.

The photos showed the girls' belongings spread out on rocks, plastic bags and candy wrappers, oddly piled mounds of dirt, a mirror, and - most concerning - the back of Kris Kremers’ head with blood leaking from her temple.

Per StrangeOutdoors.com, some internet sleuths believe the friends were attempting to use the camera's flash as a source of light or to signal for help in the pitch black.

Police used the evidence to investigate the area and soon discovered the remains of both women.

Police questioned the locals, tour guides, and other hikers who had been in the area at the time, but nothing besides the photos and call logs provided them with evidence as to what had happened.

Following the backpack's discovery, a pair of jean shorts, two different shoes, and several bone remains were discovered on shortly before June 19, 2014. Throughout the following weeks, more partial remains were found - such as one half of a pelvic bone and a single rib.

Due to the level of decay, neither the Dutch nor Panamanian forensic teams could provide an accurate cause of death. Despite theories of foul play, it was ultimately determined that the two young women had died as a result of an accident - most likely from a fall - with their bodies then succumbing to the harsh environment of the jungle.

Until this day, their families have still had no definitive answers as to what led to their loved one's deaths.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube

A disturbing theory has emerged about what happened to two friends who vanished shortly after taking a chilling photo while on vacation.

Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22, from Amersfoort in the Netherlands, embarked on a six-month journey in Panama, per All That's Interesting.

Their itinerary included hiking, volunteering with local children, teaching English and the arts, and learning Spanish. After two weeks trekking through the jungle near the Baru volcano, they planned to spend another month with a host family in the Chiriquí province.

On April 1, 2014, around 11:00AM, they left their residence to walk the family dog near the Continental Divide. When the dog returned alone, the host family raised the alarm. Despite exhaustive local searches and an international response, both girls remained missing.

Ten weeks later, a local woman turned in a blue backpack found floating in a rice paddy by the river. Inside were Froon’s passport, two bras, cash, sunglasses, a water bottle, Kremers’ camera, and both their mobile phones.

Investigators discovered the phones were active in the days following their disappearance, with 77 calls made to emergency numbers, including 112 and 911.

Only one call connected, ending after two seconds. The phones were left on until April 11, and logs showed repeated incorrect PIN entries on Kremers’ phone on April 6.

Analysis of the Canon camera revealed nearly 90 photos taken between 1:00AM and 4:00AM on April 8.

Captured in the dead of night, some disturbing shots involved the women's belongings spread out on rocks, plastic bags, candy wrappers, oddly piled mounds of dirt, a mirror, and perhaps the most concerning - the back of Kremers’ head with blood pouring out.

Social media sleuths have theorised that the women may have been using their camera flashes as light sources or distress signals in the jungle’s pitch darkness.

Months after the backpack was handed over, authorities located scattered human bones in the area where the girl’s last known path lay.

Froon’s remains appeared to have decomposed naturally, though some flesh remained. Kremers’ bones were stark white - described as “bleached” - raising further questions.

Dutch authors Marja West and Jurgen Snoeren - who chronicled the case in Lost in the Jungle - concluded that the most plausible explanation was an accidental death caused by flash floods.

As they told The Daily Beast: “It actually came as a surprise to us too, but our conclusion had to be that it was an accident. It took us quite some time to get there.”

Despite numerous investigations and public interest, answers remain elusive. The unsettling photos, strange phone activity, and eerie condition of Kremers' bones continue to haunt the unresolved case.

Featured image credit: YouTube

Mystery remains around the case of a woman who vanished while on a hike after the person she was with lost sight of her for just 45 seconds.

On July 18, 2007, Barbara Bolick was hiking with Jim Ramaker near Bear Creek Overlook outside Victor, Montana.

Ramaker reported that she was there one moment, and gone the next. In a matter of seconds, he says, Bolick vanished without a trace, per NBC Montana.

Bolick would now be 71 years old. Described as 5-feet tall and 115 pounds, with brown eyes, red or auburn hair, and pierced ears, she was last seen wearing a pastel-colored shirt, tan shorts, and a black backpack.

Despite exhaustive ground searches, including the use of police dogs, no sign of her has been found.

Bolick’s disappearance has prompted continued calls for information, with law enforcement agencies renewing efforts to understand what might have occurred.

Last year, authorities issued a fresh appeal for any information that might help reconstruct the events leading up to her sudden vanishing.

Ramaker, Bolick’s hiking partner and the last person known to have seen her, has cooperated fully with police, who do not suspect him of any wrongdoing in the case.

"They were only a short distance apart," said Jim Harmon, a news historian and former NBC Montana news director.

“Yet in a few seconds, he looks back and she's not there. It's just amazing to me. How in the world did that happen? How could she not just have been a short distance down the hill? It’s absolutely a mystery.”

The search for Bolick has been costly, involving multiple agencies and substantial resources.

"You can imagine the apparatus that is involved when someone disappears," said Jesse Laslovich, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, in an interview with NBC Montana.

“It’s not only local and state authorities. We also have search and rescue involved with some of these volunteer organizations. We have federal authorities involved. It's hundreds and thousands of dollars, just in hours that are put into it, that we're paying people who are actually investigating the cases. Is it worth it? Of course.”

Laslovich also rejected theories suggesting Bolick may have chosen to disappear voluntarily, explaining that it would be nearly impossible to build a new life undetected.

"It'd be highly unlikely if someone were still alive, still able to function, especially when we have really extensive means at the federal level," he said.

“So it just would be really difficult for someone to just disappear; to start a new life with nothing.”

Featured image credit: Missoula County Sheriff's Office

A mother has shared her theory after her children were finally spotted in the wilderness with their father after having disappeared years earlier.

A father and his three young children, who vanished from the remote New Zealand town of Marokopa in late 2021, may have been seen for the first time in nearly three years late last year, per The Guardian.

The footage is believed to show Tom Phillips and his children (Jayda, now 11, Maverick, nine, and Ember, eight), reigniting hope and concern in equal measure.

The grainy video, captured by hunters on October 3, 2024, near their former hometown, shows the group dressed in camouflage walking through rugged terrain, Metro reports.

While the sighting has not been fully confirmed, police say the footage is credible.

The children's mother, Catherine, who has been searching for them since their disappearance, expressed both relief and unease after seeing the video.

In an emotional interview, she speculated that one of her children may have attempted a subtle plea for help when interacting with the hunters.

According to one of the boys who encountered the group, a girl (believed to be Jayda) responded vaguely when questioned: “I said, ‘This is private property,’ and she was like, ‘Yeah… duh.’ Then I asked, ‘Does anyone know you're on here?’ and she said, ‘No, just you guys.’”

Catherine believes those words may have carried deeper meaning. “Is that a cry for help? Is that her way of saying, ‘Does anyone know where we are? Is anyone coming for us?’” she said.

“It’s like she’s trying to say something without saying it directly, maybe out of fear, because her father was standing right there.”

Though grateful her children appear to be alive, Catherine remains deeply concerned for their wellbeing. Ember, she noted, suffers from asthma and needs medical attention that can’t be provided while living off-grid.

“What Thomas is doing is not okay,” she previously told the New Zealand Herald. “It’s not okay to isolate and control. This is child neglect, child endangerment, child abuse. My babies deserve better.”

The family’s initial disappearance occurred in September 2021, when Phillips and the children were found camping in dense bushland. After returning home 18 days later, they vanished again that December. Since then, sightings have been rare, with the October footage marking the first time all three children have reportedly been seen together.

Tom Phillips, now also wanted in connection with an armed robbery of a bank in Te Kuiti in September 2023, failed to appear in court in early 2022 on charges of wasting police resources related to the initial disappearance, CNN details.

Police continue to investigate and have cautioned the public not to approach Phillips, who is considered potentially dangerous. Authorities have received at least 40 credible tips about the family’s whereabouts.

Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders confirmed the video is under active review. “While nothing further of significance was located, this is a credible sighting and the first time all three children have been seen together. That is a positive step and will bring some reassurance to their extended family,” he said.

Saunders added that investigators believe Phillips has been aided by others during his time on the run. “We are willing to consider immunity from prosecution for anyone who has helped him, if they now come forward with information that leads to the safe return of the children,” he said.

The case continues to grip New Zealand as authorities and loved ones seek answers, and hope for a safe resolution.

Featured image credit: TVNZ

A devastated mom has spoken out after her three children were captured on video after they had vanished with their fugitive father three years ago.

In September of 2021, Tom Phillips went missing with his three children - Jayda, 11, Maverick, nine, and Ember, eight. Although he turned up a month later, the father and children once again went off the grid in December 2021.

Shortly after going missing with the children, an arrest warrant was issued by police in New Zealand. Phillips is also wanted for allegedly robbing a bank in Te Kuiti - a town located on the North Island of New Zealand - at gunpoint in May 2023.

After evading authorities for three years, the latest update has brought heartache and hope to the children's mother, Cat.

On October 3, teenage hunters captured the father and the three children on camera walking on a remote coastal farm near Marokop.

Despite multiple potential sightings over the last few years, this was the first time the children had been recorded on video -- and was the first time their mom had seen them alive in three years.

Speaking to local news outlet Stuff, one of the teenagers who recorded the family in the wilderness revealed that they were about 200 feet away from them, and that the eldest child, Jayda, responded when shouted at.

The teen said that he shouted: "This is private property."

To which, Jayda reportedly responded: "Yeah... duh."

One of the teenage boys then asked the family: "Does anyone know you're on here?"

"No, just you guys," Jayda responded.

Dad Phillips could be seen walking ahead of his three children, with the family dressed in camouflage and carrying backpacks. One of the teenagers revealed that he apparently saw the father carrying a gun, so he called the authorities shortly after spotting the family.

The footage has understandably left authorities, the public, and the children's mother desperate for answers.

Speaking to Mata Reports, the mom believes her daughter's responses were a plea for help.

In an emotional interview, the mom broke down in tears and said: "Is that a cry for help? Is that ‘Does anybody know that we’re here? Is anyone coming for us?‘"

Mom Cat continued: "It’s like she’s trying to say something without actually saying it because her father is right there. And she’s worried if she says the wrong thing and words it the wrong way, she’s worried about later repercussions."

Due to the footage being the first she has seen of her children in nearly three years, the mom explained her mixed feelings. "It was really good, they’re carrying their own gear, it’s the best news that anybody could hope for," Cat added.

However, the mom is understandably still desperate to have her children home. "I can’t imagine what they’ve endured in these three years, it’s just wrong on so many levels," she said. "I just want my babies home."

In another interview with the New Zealand Herald, mom Cat added that the children's father is "trying to teach me a lesson", adding: "He doesn’t care for them, they’re just pawns in this game."

She also expressed her gratitude to the teenager hunters, saying: "I am so grateful to him and I cannot express myself enough because so many people see things out there and they don’t have the courage to come forward."

Shortly after the footage was reported, authorities swamped the area - with a helicopter and a military chopper equipped with night vision.

Per News.com.au, Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders has described the footage as "a positive line of inquiry".

"Patrols began in the area on Thursday night and a search was launched the following morning," Saunders continued. "While nothing further of significance was located, investigators will now assess information gathered to determine any next steps.

"This is the first time all three of the children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider family."

Over the last few years, there have been 40 unverified sightings of the missing family members. But police say the teenagers' footage is the most credible yet.

Saunders also added that the next steps are being kept quiet "for operational reasons", but added: "We want to reassure the public that we have the resources in place to respond to any information or reports of sightings that come in.

“Our focus is very much on the safe return of Jayda, Maverick, and Ember to their whānau [the Maori word for family] and we are doing all that we can to make that happen."

Per 1News, loved ones of the missing children believe a tight-knit circle of supporters is secretly helping Phillips survive in the wilderness.

The public has been urged NOT to approach the family if they are spotted, over fears that Phillips may be armed and dangerous.

Featured image credit: 1News