A family of five, including Mark Tromp, disappeared on a tech-free road trip from their berry farm in Victoria, Australia, on August 29, 2016. The family drove away without any communication to their friends and extended family. Mark Tromp, the man at the center of the incident, has apologized for the “hurt and concern” caused by the saga.
Mother Jacoba Tromp and another daughter Rhiana left the family home in Ella Tromp’s Peugeot SUV, fearing someone was after them. Mitchell Tromp, a 25-year-old, brought his cell phone, but his parents forced him to throw it out of the window. Victorian Police found the doors unlocked, a station wagon missing, and other cars left behind with keys still in ignitions. The Tromp family split up shortly into the trip after the children realized their parents’ fear was not real and reported their parents as missing.
The Tromp family’s decision to leave the home with no phones or credit cards led to one of Australia’s most bizarre missing person cases. The Tromp family split up shortly into the trip after the children realized their parents’ fear was not real and reported their parents as missing. Mitchell Tromp, the first of the children to flee, revealed that his father thought “people were after him” which was why they had to leave.
The Tromps may be suffering from group delusional schizophrenia after they hurriedly fled their Victorian home on Tuesday, amid apparently unfounded fears. The Tromp family’s journey was marked by paranoia, fear, and paranoia, which led to the family’s disappearance. The Tromp family has since been charged with theft of a motor vehicle and possessing.
In an interview with the Tromp family, the son explained that they were just fearing for their lives and then decided to flee. The Tromp family’s decision to leave the farm was a result of feeling in danger and wanting to get away as a family. The father who disappeared in a bizarre off-grid trip with his family has broken his silence and apologised to the community for the difficult period.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Update on the Tromp family—Australian case of shared … | In interviews after the fact, the son explained that, “they were just fearing for their lives and then they decided to flee.” He was the first … | reddit.com |
| Tromp family road trip: the case that baffled the world. | 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. That afternoon, Jacoba … | mamamia.com.au |
| Tromp family ‘back to normal’ in Melbourne after odd trip | Mitchell Tromp, 25, was the first of the children to flee and revealed his father thought ‘people were after him‘ which is why they had to leave … | dailymail.co.uk |
📹 The Bizarre Road Trip Of A Missing Family
BuzzFeedBlue Sports, video games, Unsolved & more epic daily videos! MUSIC Licensed via Audio Network SFX Provided By …
What Happened To The Tromp Family?
In late August 2016, the Tromp family from Silvan, Australia, unexpectedly abandoned their berry farm and successful earth-moving business, leaving behind their cell phones, passports, and credit cards. They embarked on a tech-free road trip, convinced they were in danger, driving over 1, 600 km. Their disappearance triggered a police investigation across Victoria and New South Wales, as two of the family members went missing for five days. When found safe, Mark Tromp expressed remorse for causing concern.
The family split during their journey; the children realized their parents' fears were unfounded, leading them to report their parents missing. The Tromps had been experiencing increasing paranoia connected to stress. Despite the bizarre events, the family eventually returned to normal life, resuming work on their farm after several months. The true reasons behind their fear remain unclear, but the incident became one of Australia’s most perplexing missing persons cases. Overall, the Tromp family's eerie experience sparked public intrigue and concern, leaving lingering questions about their mental health and the motivations behind their sudden departure.
How Many Families Go On Vacation?
In 2023, a significant 53% of individuals will travel with family, with 68% of families planning summer vacations and 62% of parents traveling with children under five. A recent AAA Travel survey indicates that approximately 100 million Americans (40% of adults) intend to take a family vacation this year, a slight increase from 2022. Road trips dominate vacation plans, as 70% of U. S. families are "very likely" to travel in the coming year, with 65% having made multiple trips in the past year.
The preferred modes of travel are air and cars, favored by 52% of families for their speed. Families typically budget about $3, 600 for a three-day vacation, with an average planned spending of $737 for upcoming trips. Generation X parents plan to spend more than $1, 000 on their vacations, while a majority (over 70%) of families spend upwards of $1, 000 overall.
Family vacations, particularly in spring and summer, remain a priority. Trends show families are increasingly inclined to take children out of school for holidays. Notably, 42% of families with children favor new destinations, compared to 37% without children. This year also sees a rise in multigenerational travel, reflecting a broader shift in how families approach vacations together. The post-pandemic era has heightened awareness of travel costs, leading to more mindful spending.
What Family Disappeared On Their Holiday Trip?
The Martin family from Portland, Oregon, vanished on December 7, 1958, during a day trip to the Columbia River Gorge for Christmas greenery. This eerie disappearance mirrors other cases of families who seemingly disappeared during vacations or trips. For instance, in August 2016, Mark and Jacoba Tromp from Silvan, Australia, fled their farm, with police later discovering their home abandoned. Similarly, Rachel, Cameron, and Kyle Anderson went missing in 2000, along with their mother, leaving behind their car and older siblings.
In another case, the family of Joseph and Summer vanished without a trace, leading family members to uncover their empty home in 2010. Disappearances often raise distressing questions about abduction or encounters with nature's wrath. Disturbingly, some families were later found deceased or involved in tragic scenarios. The stories span various incidents, including Adrien McNaughton, who went missing on a fishing trip in 1972.
The mysteries surrounding their fates underscore the fragility of life and the unanswered questions left in the wake of such tragedies, as seen in cases like the Martin family's puzzling disappearance.
Why Did The Tromp Family Flee?
On August 29, 2016, the Tromp family from Silvan, Australia, embarked on a puzzling road trip, fleeing their berry farm without explanation. Mark, 51, and Jacoba Tromp, 53, along with their three children—Riana, Mitchell, and Ella—packed their car with cash and set off, consumed by paranoia and fear. Overwhelmed by a build-up of everyday pressures, the family felt that their lives were in danger, prompting them to leave their successful business abruptly.
The family's journey spanned over 1, 600 kilometers, culminating in significant concern from the community and police investigations. Mitchell, 25, was the first to abandon the trip near Bathurst, returning to Melbourne. He later shed light on the family's mindset, indicating that their parents believed someone was after them, which fueled their decision to escape. The situation was further complicated by speculation about possible mental health issues and theories ranging from psychosis linked to farm chemicals to financial troubles.
Despite the bizarre circumstances, the story concluded with the family reuniting and expressing appreciation for the support from their community. Mark Tromp later apologized for the emotional turmoil caused, highlighting the family's struggle with a sudden, unexplainable fear that drove them to flee. Although the reasons behind their actions remain unclear, the episode serves as a reminder of how pressure can manifest in unexpected ways.
Why Did Mitchell Tromp Leave His Family?
Mitchell Tromp left his family during a thousand-mile road trip after 500 miles of enduring their antics. At 7 am in Bathurst, west of Sydney, he abandoned the group and took trains home. Following their return home, Mitchell expressed regret for leaving the family prematurely. The Tromps had set out from their farm in Silvan, east of Melbourne, with concerns of being followed, as voiced by Mitchell and his siblings.
The family’s journey stemmed from escalating paranoia, with Mark and Jacoba Tromp reportedly feeling overwhelmed by fear for their lives. This situation led them to embark on a panicked six-day road trip that sparked widespread media speculation and concern.
While Mitchell had his cell phone, his parents forced him to discard it shortly after the trip began, citing fears for their safety. After breaking away from the family, he successfully reached home on August 31. Despite attempts to maintain privacy as they recover from their ordeal, the Tromp family's experiences have raised numerous questions about the reasons for their flight, including financial worries and possible irrational fears. The family requested understanding during this challenging time, emphasizing their desire for privacy amidst intense media scrutiny.
Is There A Movie About The Tromp Family?
On August 29, 2016, the Tromp family, consisting of parents Mark and Jacoba and their three adult children, Riana, Mitchell, and Ella, abruptly left their home in Silvan, Australia. They embarked on a tech-free road trip, convinced they were being pursued and needed to escape. This journey spanned over 1, 600km (995 miles) and led to a police investigation, as well as two family members ultimately requiring psychiatric care. The family's seemingly normal life, running a berry farm and earth-moving business, was shattered when they decided to leave without informing friends or neighbors.
During their trip, the family's paranoia grew, resulting in them splitting up as the children realized their parents' fears were unfounded. This prompted them to report their parents missing. As events unfolded, each family member escaped the road trip in different ways. By August 30, law enforcement had arrived at the Tromp home to investigate the peculiar circumstances. The case gained national attention, with some viewing it as bizarre and surreal.
In an interview, Jacoba Tromp expressed regret for the distress caused by their actions. The saga has become a notable point of discussion around mental health and family dynamics in crisis, making the Tromp family's experience a disturbing chapter in Australia's recent history.
What Happened To The Tromps?
In August 2016, the Tromp family from Silvan, Australia, embarked on a bizarre, tech-free road trip, leading to an extraordinary disappearance. Mark and Jacoba Tromp, along with their three children, vanished without explanation, prompting a police investigation that revealed their home was left abandoned with unlocked doors. Over the course of a week, the family traveled more than 1, 600 km (995 miles) before being located one by one. Although the exact reasons for their sudden flight remain unclear, their journey raised questions about collective delusions.
Ultimately, the mystery had a relatively happy conclusion as they returned home safely. In the aftermath, however, Ella Tromp faced charges related to car theft, reflecting the distressing circumstances surrounding the family's disarray. This case became one of Australia's most perplexing missing person incidents, capturing public intrigue due to its oddity and the family's apparent disconnection from reality. Despite the chaos, the Tromps' story highlighted themes of family dynamics under duress, and many continue to speculate about the psychological factors at play during their strange adventure.
What Happened To The Anderson Family?
The Carnation murders, which occurred on December 24, 2007, near Carnation, Washington, were a tragic mass murder where six members of the Anderson family, spanning three generations, were killed in their home. The victims included Wayne Scott Anderson, Judy Anderson, and their children, who were shot a total of 14 times with two handguns. This horrific incident marked one of the deadliest days in the family's history.
The Anderson family's background is marked by previous tragedies, including the suicide of Wayne's brother, Carter, in 1988. Carter's loss deeply impacted the family, and his brother Anthony Anderson has opened up about the ongoing grief associated with such devastating events.
In a broader context, the Anderson family has been the subject of various stories, including the mysterious disappearance of three children—Rachel, Cameron, and Kyle Anderson—in 2000. Their case remains unresolved, with no traces found. The family's legacy is intertwined with themes of loss, grief, and resilience, showcasing the profound impacts of familial tragedies on their lives. The brutal Christmas Eve massacre further highlights the family's tumultuous history, contributing to a narrative filled with heartbreak and unanswered questions. As the effects linger through subsequent generations, the Anderson family's story remains significant in discussions about mental health and familial strife.
What Is The Tromp Family Doing Now?
The Tromp family, after a bizarre off-grid adventure, has returned to life on their farm near Silvan, refraining from public engagement and removing their company details. This follows a media statement from Mark, wishing for a normal life post-incident. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is gearing up for a 2024 presidential run after losing the 2020 election. Having moved to Mar-a-Lago in Florida post-inauguration, Trump faces ongoing challenges, including a $250 million civil fraud case involving family testimonies.
Notably, Melania Trump has adopted a low-profile approach during this family transformation. The Trump family is also engaged in various activities, including NFT charity initiatives and reflecting on their political futures. Former President Trump has shown interest in pardoning family members should he regain office. Additionally, the Tramops' quiet return to farm life contrasts sharply with the tumultuous political landscape surrounding the Trump family, who are navigating legal issues and public perceptions.
It has been seven years since their panic-induced road trip, and the Tromps now focus on selling produce and operating a pick-your-own fruit tour, expressing relief over their return to normalcy after the chaotic experiences of the past.
📹 The Missing Family Q+A
What if the Tromp family was a drug front? MERCH: We’ve got it! SHOP NOW: https://bzfd.it/2MDBk2d Credits: …
The thing I’m most baffled by is how all five of them turned up alive and yet none of them could give even a basic description of what prompted the trip or what happened during it. Usually, cases are unsolved either because we have no way of accessing the information needed to solve it or because some legal block caused the case to stop. In this case, we continue to have theoretical access to all the information needed but somehow we don’t have it???
Riana did a statement where she explained that her dad had been slowly having a mental breakdown over time that both the parents were co-dependent so they often fed into each other, but they hadn’t realized it until after the fact. Riana said on the trip though her dad was so convincing to his belief that they were being followed and someone was out to get them, that they had no reason to not believe him. Mitchell was the only one who was pretty clear that this wasn’t okay, which is why he left and and sought out the police to let them know his family was having some kind of mental health crisis. Afterwards, the family sought on-going mental health treatment and support, and have been doing well. <3
To be honest the “no family history of mental illness” is something I usually ignore. My family was very traditional and 3 generations described anxiety and depression but they never sought help because of how they were raised and taught. Especially in a situation where they’re farming folk, I don’t think they would have a history even if they all had obvious signs.
as someone who’s actually experienced folie a deux with my family i really believe that theory to be the strongest. it can happen randomly and with everyones trust and paranoia in the household it can cause a sudden “insanity” where you can do reckless things. and it definitely left me feeling confused after my experience lmao
Riana Tromp came out and stated that her father was having a serious mental break down and made the family truly believe they were in immediate danger. They were also shown to have most likely suffered from “Folie á Deux” or “madness of the many” providing explanation for Riana’s near-catatonic state and Mitchell’s bizarre actions. She also stated that the family is safe and back to living their normal lives.
One of my friends had a psychotic break due to insomnia and lack of sleep. He thought we were all trying to kill him or people were trying to kill him. It only took 3 days from him to go from relatively normal to hospital bound. I think this isthe most likely explanation as they all exhibit mental symptoms and can’t remember much or explain their reasoning, which makes sense. Like when you do something for no reason it feels inexplicable after
I guess the best theory is that the parents experienced some kind of mental lapse and the kids just went along with it until they realized nothing was actually happening. If your parents never exhibit any signs of mental illness and they came up to you one day and told you someone was out to get you or something, you’d be inclined to believe them
so i googled it and all i got was that the dad was stressed and on the edge of a breakdown when they left and the reason for leaving was because he was convinced someone was out to get them. he eventually got his wife in on the paranoia so they both decided to get the kids and leave. they left all credit cards, passports, phones etc so no one could trace them. the kids weren’t exactly sure what was going on i think, but decided to just go with it. some really great theories and the one about a mob wouldve been cool to hear, but alas, the only mobs we really get out here in australia are those of kangaroos
Things that perplex me about this: 1. All three children were well into adulthood, so they surely consented to going with the parents. One was almost thirty! 2. Why do none of them remember why they left? Are they just keeping it to themselves?? If so, surely it’s shady af. 3. What made the elder girl break down and go catatonic??
It’s a weird story, Especially that they’re still alive. Like that delusion that they had, I’d honestly not call them idiots because that level of paranoia is just something that needs help. By them explaining what and why they did that they could prevent others doing the same. I’d just like to know how it began and how 5 adults got swept into something like this
I remember when this happened….everyone was expecting something terrible had happened to them, it was relief when they were found. They think the parents had convinced the kids they were all in danger so they went along with it until they realized their parents were behaving odd and they needed to go home. Weirdest thing is the pronunciation of the town names!!! Too funny 🙂
My parents live on a piece of land in the middle of nowhere (the school has like max 30kids so like it’s the middle of nowhere ) and I was forced to live there for a year. I gotta say, it was the most nightmarish experience I’ve ever had. My dad is mentally ill, so is my mum, and he was stocking up for an apocalypse of some kind with shelves and shelves of food. When he moved out there, he got into guns and began collecting them and spending time at the local shooting range. He set up cameras around the whole property and if he wasn’t as lazy as he was he would have set up cameras at my area too. He slowly got more and more into conspiracy theories, but he was doomed from the start, used to tell me when I was a preteen that “nobody can be trusted”. Managed to convince me of a few for a time. When I got out I was hesitant to leave, but then i never felt better. I wholeheartedly believe this was a case of collective paranoia. I may be biased but my guess is the dad started it and the mum only perpetuated it. The kids were roped in, hesitant but because of that innate trust in their parents they went along.
Folie a deux seems like the most likely reason. There is one person who gets the delusions and is the primary patient ( in my opinion I think it’s Mark Tromp bec he was the one who came back last and tried to continue on the trail) and the secondary patients seem to be Jacoba, Riana and Ella, who kinda ‘came back to their senses’ once separated from the primary source. And Mitchell seemed to have been just pulled along for the ride bec family.
I feel like the family was lying about everything. There might be a very specific reason why they decided to split up almost around the same area. They were probably threatened not by one person but by multiple people. The family soon decided to leave their house without saying anything and thought about leaving their phones home so no one can bother them. Maybe they wanted to split because they didn’t want to get caught all at the same time. They didn’t want the police to get involved in this mystery but instead, it just had to happen.
Not sure if you’ve already done it or not but you guys should do the Madeline Mc’Cain disappearance. It’s still well talked about here in England and there are so many theories on what happened, plus apparently the investigation is still ongoing. Just a thought 😊 Love BF Unsolved, watch it during my morning coffees.
I have a list of mysteries for you to solve. They are very interesting! 1. Jack the Ripper 2. Severed Foot Beach in British Columbia 3. The Max Headroom Hijacking 4. The Mackenzie Poltergeist in Greyfriars 5. You could maybe do an episode on H. H. Holmes 6. The Overtoun Bridge 7. The Disappearance of James Worson
Oh! i have a theory as to why Daddy Tromp may have tailed that young couple in their car, and then got out and ran towards them and then stopped and ran off into the woods. maybe he thought that the kids in the car might have been his kids that had split from the family earlier, so he ran towards them only to realize they weren’t his kids, and then maybe got freaked out that he’d been seen so he ran off.. eh?? anyone?
What I think happened is that some sort of chemical or drug from their farm poisoned them causing them to share a paranoid delusion as part of a bad trip where they all became convinced someone was out to get them so they plotted to escape but then when the drug effect started to wear off they were confused and out of it as they were found by the authorities. Because of the drug effects their memory of it is probably hazy so they like knew something was wrong and they had some issue but they can’t remember why they were like that or most of what happened.
splitting up the family would actually make it easier for the single members of the family to hide better… maybe the parents had some debts with someone (hence the looking through documents, maybe they were searching for something specific) and became paranoid. i still don’t understand the episode with the young couple and the father tho…
if the family is actually being chased for something, it is not unlikely to think of splitting up. if the bad guys are actually after the parents or what they have., it might be an option to be rather caught without their children than escape together then end up being caught altogether as well. mitchell ella and riana are grown ups anyways, they could have trusted them to go out there without them and do everything to escape and save their asses.
I feel like this is the most frustrating BuzzFeed unsolved case because the people all are alive and talking. Like isn’t there any more from them? Ella’s statement was so watery. What happened? Do they not remember the trip at all? What does she mean by “it’s confusing”? Did she black out? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS
the fact that the kids were all in their 20’s honestly strikes me as odd. the youngest literally would be in college. the middle child & oldest child literally are old enough to be married & have children. they probably had steady jobs if not at LEAST a good idea of what they wanted to be and were trying to reach that goal. & suddenly they just poof out of no where?
They ran an earth moving business. Clearly they dug too deep and uncovered an eldritch creature or artifact from some loathsome space beyond the ken of mortal minds, hidden away since untold eons before man walked the Earth in blissful ignorance of the dark, hideous secrets still slumbering – waiting – below their feet. The blasphemous influence of that ancient thing struck them with madness and they fled for their lives from the nameless terror they could not even begin to comprehend. Duh.
I love how they make it a point to say how bad it is that a couple was tailgated so badly that they couldn’t see the driver’s headlights. In Michigan, that’s literally how aggressively EVERYONE drives. They don’t mind endangering the lives of everyone on the road just to try and get you to go 10 miles FURTHER above the speed limit. How dare you drive in front of someone.
To me, it seems more likely that the parents had committed some sort of crime like embezzling or something, which would explain why they were looking so carefully at their financial records before they left. Maybe they were using their farm as a cover up for some illegal business or something idk or got mixed up with the wrong people. And the strain on the family caused the kids to split. Maybe they left with their parents initially because they didn’t know what was going on but then when they learned, they were like nah fam we out and ran away. And maybe the daughter who was “catatonic” was just trying to hide her parents secret but also was trying to get away from them. I think that’s more likely then them all having some collective mental illness.
I think that the parents got into some trouble so they explained to their daughters that they would have to leave for a little bit and let some “enemies” search the house/records for some missing purchase or something. They didn’t want the son to know or to scare him so they got him into the car and left. After a bit they told him to chuck his phone in exchange for information on why they left. Once they couldn’t be traced they explained the whole situation to him. He understood and said he wasn’t going to interfere. The sisters left later to distract the media from what was actually going on. The parents and sisters all faked their hysteria in order to confuse and publicize the ordeal to distract from the shady dealings at the farm.
As someone who grew up on a small farm in rural US (like seriously rural, 1 hour to the Walmart, rural) drugs is likely. Meth was a very common product on a lot of the “farms” around us when I was growing up and Pot was another common crop product. Also, it was not entirely uncommon to NOT be into any of that, (as my family was not into that) but to go out to inspect your farm and find that someone you didn’t know was using a distant corner of your farm for drug drops, drug crops, etc. Not saying that’s what happened here, but to ask, “How much trouble can a family of farmers get into?” The answer is, quite a lot actually, even if they are not willing or knowing participants.