Missing family: Waikato police urge safety for citizen searchers, ask for photos

Thomas Phillips and his children Jayda Phillips, Ember Phillips and Maverick Callam-Phillips. Photos / Pauline Sallet and Supplied

Members of the public assisting in the search for the missing Waikato family are urged to stay safe to avoid another search and rescue.

The search for missing man Thomas Phillips and his three children resumed this morning with a ground-based coastline search, police confirm.

Phillips, 34, and his three young children Jayda Jin, 8, Maverick Callum-Phillips, 6, and Ember Phillips, 5, were last seen in Marokopa nearly a week ago.

Waikato West Area Commander Will Loughrin said they were aware members of the public were eager to assist in the search.

"We understand people want to help. However, the search area is extremely challenging and we don't want a situation where people become injured or trapped, causing another search or rescue incident," he said.

"We ask anyone wanting to search to stay safe in the sandy beach areas only at Marokopa and Kiritehere."

They asked that people contact police with photos of anything they believed might be of interest.

"Police would rather have the opportunity to review all items located and then discount them if they are not of significance."

The Toyota Hilux ute owned by Thomas Phillips found on Kiritehere Beach near Marokopa. Photo / Supplied

Earlier this morning police said items found by lifesavers in the west coast sea were not found to be linked to the Waikato family.

They also said they had located the 2004 Honda XR400 motorcycles believed to belong to Philips and concluded it was not linked to the family's disappearance.

Police were still investigating the whereabouts of the smaller 2019 Honda CRF50.

They were also continuing a line of inquiry around Phillips' 2004 Toyota Hilux ute, which they knew a number of people had interacted with while on the beach at Marokopa.

"We strongly encourage anyone who may have had any direct interaction with the vehicle and has not yet been spoken to by Police to get in touch as soon as possible - via 105 and quote file number 210913/1952."