Mitch Tromp and Ella Tromp, whose bizarre family road trip captivated the nation’s attention this week, have spoken to the media to express their relief the day after their father Mark Tromp was found in Wangaratta.
51-year-old Mark, the last member of the family to be located, was spotted by a member of the public late yesterday, before police brought him in to the local station; he was described as being dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition.
The family of five, also including Mark’s wife Jacoba and daughter Riana, set out from their home in Silvan for a “technology-free road trip” on Monday, but the children abandoned the trip one by one, concerned about their parents’ paranoid condition.
Speaking to the media this morning, 25-year-old Mitch and 22-year-old Ella simply said that they were happy to hear the news their father has been found alive and well. Ella told reporters:
“More than anything, we’re just happy dad’s alive and he’s going to come back home and all the family is going to come back home and we can get back to normal.”
Mitch said he understood there would be a great deal of curiosity about what took place on the family road trip, but said “even if we told you the whole story, it’s still inexplicable.” He continued:
“I can see everyone’s questions, I can see why they want to know, but it’s a family matter. I just want the family to be able to come back together and everything to work itself out. It was tough to see the family like that, and I’ve never seen anyone like it. The main thing is everyone is OK now. It’s hard to explain [what happened], it’s bizarre.”
They’ve said that they will speak more about their experiences later in more detail, but for now, they will let the police do their job and finish their investigation into the matter.
Describing his decision to accompany his parents on their trip, Mitch said: “I didn’t feel in danger. I just had to go with the family because I wanted to see where they were going. I couldn’t leave them.”
He left the trip in Bathurst, but now says: “I thought getting out was the best idea for me at the time. In hindsight, I should have tried to stay with them and try and help and bring them back around and talk to them more, but I got out of the car.”
Mother Jacoba and sister Riana remain in hospital in Goulburn, in the care of mental health professionals, and the family is unsure at this stage when they will return home.
Source: The Age.
Photo: Sky News / YouTube.
