Missing man Tromp alive but dehydrated after bizarre family road trip
BREAKING UPDATE: Missing man Mark Tromp has been found on the outskirts of Wangaratta. He is dehydrated, but in 'good health'.
Police confirmed to AAP on Saturday evening that 51-year-old had been found about 5.50pm after being spotted by a passerby.
The Border Mail reports he was found walking on the side of the road near Wangaratta Airport.
EARLIER: It has been claimed a Victorian family who fled their home in a bizarre 1500km road trip, may be suffering from a rare form of shared delusional schizophrenia.
Mark and Jacoba Tromp, along with their three adult children: Riana, Ella and Mitchell, left their Yarra Ranges home for Jenolan Caves in NSW on Monday, without phones, credit cards or forms of identification.
It’s been reported Mark Tromp, 51, feared someone was out to kill his family, however police have since claimed the family were never in danger.
Bizarre Tromp case: Daughter found 'catatonic' in stranger's car
Mr Tromp remains missing, after he bolted from a car which the family were travelling in.
The desperate search for the Victorian father has reached its fifth day.
Authorities have been searching for Mark Tromp since Tuesday, after the family was reported missing and police found their Silvan home unlocked and abandoned.
Jacoba, 53, was placed under psychiatric care in Goulburn along with daughter Riana, who was found in a “catatonic state” on Tuesday.
Riana, the youngest daughter, was reportedly found dazed and hiding in the back of a stranger’s car in country NSW.
The Goulburn Post reported she had been suffering from stress when her brother and sister fronted media on Thursday.
It’s reported the male driver received the surprise of his life when he discovered Riana, 29, in the car.
Less than 100km away, her then-missing mother Jacoba was found wandering the streets.
Keith Whittaker told Goulburn Post he left a Caltex Service Station in his ute on Tuesday around 11am when he felt a kick in the back of his seat.
“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.
He said when he tried to question Riana she had no idea who she was or where she was.
News.com.au has likened the case to a rare psychiatric condition known as folie à deux, French for “madness of two”, a syndrome can be shared by more than two people.
Police claim Riana and sister Ella, 22, had stolen a car from the Jenolan Caves and driven it to Goulburn.
The Post reported Riana entered Mr Whittaker’s ute there and Ella kept driving.
By Tuesday morning, Mitchell left the group near Bathurst and made his way to Melbourne via Sydney.
Jacoba was found on Thursday in a Yass hospital and has since been transferred to Goulburn hospital where Riana is also being treated.
Police say both women are in a fragile mental state.
Reports a man matching Mark Tromp’s description, seen hitch-hiking in the Bega area, have since been discounted by local police as a case of mistaken identity, according to reports.
The Post also reported a police circular suggested the five members of the Tromp family had been diagnosed with shared delusional schizophrenia.
Mark Tromp was officially last seen near Wangaratta bushland on Wednesday night. The rest of the family has been found.
Mitchell Tromp has reportedly denied the family have been diagnosed with any psychological disorders, shared or otherwise.
Mitchell told media on Thursday everyday pressures had got to the family and they just wanted to escape.
He said the trip descended into mounting trauma and distress.
"I've never seen anything like it - it's really hard to explain or put a word on it but they were just fearing for their lives and then they decided to flee," he said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
