The mother of three children who were taken by their father and had been living on the run in the wilderness for four years has spoken out after they were finally found.
The children were rescued after their father, Tom Phillips, was shot dead in a confrontation with police.
Phillips had been on the run for four years after taking his children, children, Ember, now nine, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, just before Christmas 2021 after a fight with their mother, who had sole custody, and disappearing into remote wilderness in New Zealand.
Nobody knew whether the children were still alive until October 2024 when the group were spotted by pig hunters as they followed their dad, wearing large rucksacks and masks.
Phillips was shot dead on Monday following a shootout with police amid an attempted burglary at a supply store, per the New York Post.
At around 2.30AM local time on Monday, police were called to a rural farm supply store in Piopio, part of the vast Waikato region where Phillips and the children were previously spotted, after receiving reports of a burglary.
Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers revealed: "Information came to police that described two people on a quad bike, dressed in farm clothing and wearing headlamps."
Phillips had previously been on the radar of authorities for stealing a quad bike and camping supplies, including headlamps.
Police had laid out spikes at an intersection to stop the driver of the bike from getting away with items from the store, sending the quad bike careening off course.
When the bike came to a halt, the driver turned and opened fire “at close range” to the cops, Rogers said.
The officers returned fire and shot the man - later identified as Phillips - dead. First aid was attempted to be administered but he was unable to be saved.
One officer suffered critical injuries after being struck in the head and shoulder and was taken to hospital for surgery.
Police located one of the children - 12-year-old Jayda - at the scene, along with a cache of firearms.
Maverick and Ember were rescued from a campsite at around 4.30PM on Monday following information provided by Jayda.
Rogers added: "This has been a deeply traumatic incident this morning for those involved. It has been confronting and challenging in a small, rural, isolated location."
The children's mother, Catherine, spoke out after they were rescued, saying that she was "saddened by how events had unfolded."
She said in a statement to RNZ: ""First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki [children] this ordeal has come to an end.
"[The children] have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.
"Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.
"They have endured a long and difficult journey, and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment."
She extended her love to the injured officer as well as the community for supporting her family over the last four years, adding: "Your compassion has sustained us."
Catherine continued: "As a whānau [family], we are now attempting to work in cooperation with the relevant government agencies to support the safe return and reconnection of our tamariki [children]."
Phillips, who did not have legal custody of his kids, had initially disappeared with the children for 19 days following an alleged dispute with Catherine, and was charged with wasting police time after claiming he'd taken them on an impromptu camping trip.
He later took the children and disappeared for good in December 2021, with them not being sighted again until October 2024.
Though they were spotted by pig farmers as they trekked through the rural landscape, the trail soon went cold again.