Chilling response kids who vanished with father three years ago had when confronted by hunters

Three missing children had just a five-word response when they were spotted by hunters.

In 2021, Tom Phillips and the mother of his children Cat were said to have had a dispute in their family home, which led to Tom and their three kids all of a sudden disappearing.

Cat has been searching for her children ever since, and has had limited luck in locating Ember, 8, Maverick, 9, and Jayda, 11, until very recently.

Now, almost three years on from their disappearance, a group of young hunters in Marokopa, New Zealand, believe they stumbled across the three missing minors.

Their father Tom was also spotted in the footage that was taken, and could be seen walking through the wilderness with three children tailing behind him.

After police confirmed that the video was credible, the children's stressed mother has since spoken out and has urged their father to hand himself over to the police.

"I just broke down," Cat said of the moment she saw the video.

"I can’t see their faces but I can see them walking and they’re all there, and they’re capable of carrying their own bags."

She added in her interview with The New Zealand Herald that her kids 'shouldn’t have to be worrying about where they’re going to sleep that night or whether they’re going to be warm'.

Jayda, Maverick and Ember have been missing since December 2021 (1News)

Now, the grandfather of one of the 16-year-olds to have taken the crucial video has spoken out and shared the exchange his grandson had with the missing children.

John McOviney said that the hunters asked who else knew the children were there, to which they apparently replied: 'Only you'.

"And then they just kept on walking", he added. "They were all packed up, they had big packs on."

"I think the father sort of kept them moving," he added.

Apparently, Tom was carrying a gun at the time the teenagers spotted the Phillips family roaming around, which is why they didn't take the encounter any further.

A family believed to be Tom Phillips and his children were spotted in Marokopa, NZ (1News)

Their mom has expressed her gratitude to the hunter for sharing the video of her missing children.

"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," Cat said.

The sighting of the family comes after police amped up their search efforts back in June, even offering and $80,000 ($48,800 USD) reward to anyone that helped them safely get Ember, Maverick and Jayda home.

This offer expired on June 25, however.