Family of missing Melbourne man Mark Tromp plead for him to come home
A UTE driver has come forward claiming that one of the Tromp children was hiding in the back of his vehicle in NSW as police continue to investigate the bizarre family road trip.
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NEW details have emerged about the bizarre family road trip of the mysterious Tromp family.
A ute driver has come forward claiming that one of the children was hiding in the back of his vehicle in Goulburn, NSW, on Tuesday.
Keith Whittaker told the Goulburn Post that he found a woman believed to be Riana Tromp after he filled up at a petrol station in NSW.
“I turned around and saw two legs stretched across the back between my seat and the floor. She was lying on the floor,” Mr Whittaker said.
“I got an extreme shock. I pulled over in a rest area.”
Mr Whittaker said about 20 minutes later the young woman sat up and was staring straight ahead.
“I asked her who she was and if she was all right? She did not know her name and had no idea where she was,” he said.
“I asked her if she needed any water or anything or was in any way injured and she said no.”
Earlier, a man matching the description of missing Melbourne dad Mark Tromp has been sighted in New South Wales.
Police are still investigating whether the person seen today is Mr Tromp.
They are following up several calls from people who have claimed to see Mr Tromp, 53, in various locations across NSW.
Mr Tromp fled his Silvan home in the Yarra Ranges on Monday with his wife and children on a bizarre 1500km drive across two states.
The much-loved father-of-three was last seen disappearing into bushland in Wangaratta about 10pm on Wednesday night, with no confirmed sightings since.
“Every sighting we get, we investigate,” Sgt Mark Knight said.
Today’s unconfirmed sightings in NSW come as police also investigate whether Mr Tromp broke into a motel in Wangaratta last night.
Owners at the Millers Cottage Motel on Wangaratta Rd found a room door ajar about 9.30am today.
The bathroom appeared to have been used, the bed may have been slept in and a muesli bar wrapper was on the floor.
It’s understood the door to the room had been locked but a window had been left open after a smoker had used the room previously.
Police are dusting the room for fingerprints.
Police were also checking the Best Western Motel after someone rang the doorbell about 11.30pm yesterday.
The motel manager then heard a car door slam and the person leave in a car — which is not consistent with Mr Tromp’s movements.
Mr Tromp had already dumped his Peugeot in the nearby Merriwa park.
There was no evidence of foul play in his car, which was later seized by police.
Staff at the Wangaratta train station told the Herald Sun they had not seen Mr Tromp.
They have put up a photograph to help staff identify Mr Tromp in the event he tries to buy a train ticket.
KIDS’ PLEA FOR BELOVED DAD
Mr Tromp’s family yesterday pleaded for him to come home and said their dad had feared for his life when he left the family’s Silvan property.
“It’s really hard to explain or put a word on it ... They were just fearing for their lives and they just decided to flee,” Mr Tromp’s son Mitchell, 25 said yesterday.
The family left their home, a scenic redcurrant farm, without their mobile phones, credit cards or passports.
His wife Jacoba turned up a hospital in New South Wales yesterday, while Riana, 29, Mitchell, 25, and Ella, 22, were also safe and well.
Monbulk Police Sergeant Mark Knight said officers first checked the family’s Chapmans Rd property on Tuesday after being alerted by New South Wales police the parents were missing, and were confronted with a “bizarre” scene.
The doors were wide open, mobile phones and credit cards were still inside, and business papers were piled throughout the house.
The family owns several companies, including Parkview Farm, and the Herald Sun understands that business and family pressures had built up before they left the property.
When the family fled only Mitchell had his phone with him, which he voluntarily threw out the car window as the family drove to New South Wales.
“It was a build-up of different, normal, everyday events, just pressure ... it slowly got worse as the days went by,” Mitchell said yesterday when asked why they had left the house.
“I’ve never seen my parents or anyone at all go to this extreme.”
“I just really want my dad to be found.
“He’s not dangerous, he’s my mate, my father. I love him.”
BIZARRE LAST CONFIRMED SIGHTING
Mr Tromp disappeared into bushland after a strange incident in which he was believed to be driving a car seen following another vehicle in Wangaratta on Wednesday night.
Ella said she and her family “weren’t thinking clearly” when they embarked on the car trip.
“The general stress of life just got a bit too much,” she said.
The siblings described their parents as “the best people in the world”.
“I work with my dad and my brother every day and they’re awesome,” Ella said.
The parents had been suffering poor mental health and Mr Tromp had expressed fears he was being followed throughout their 1500km drive, which included visits to Jenolan Caves and Goulburn in NSW.
Sgt Knight described the events and subsequent disappearance of Mr Tromp as one of the most “unusual” cases he had seen.
It is understood the three children had decided to separate from their parents during the trip.
Mitchell left the family when they arrived in Kelso, outside Bathurst, on Tuesday.
He took public transport to Sydney before travelling on an overnight train back to Melbourne.
Ella and Riana travelled with their parents to Janolan Caves, west of the Blue Mountains, before splitting from their parents.
The sisters then travelled together to Goulburn.
Ella acquired a car to get back to Silvan, while Riana was found running down the highway in poor health.
It’s believed she was attempting to hitch hike back to Melbourne.
Riana was taken to a police station in Goulburn, 80km northeast of Canberra and remains in hospital.
Mr and Mrs Tromp drove back from Janolan caves to Wangaratta in their youngest daughter’s Peugeot station wagon on Wednesday night.
But the pair soon split in different directions.
Mrs Tromp took public transport back in the direction from which they had driven.
She was last night being treated by doctors in Yass, about 60km from Canberra.
Anyone who sees Mr Tromp should call 000.
— with Tiffany Korssen and Jack Houghton