Rescue and Release: New Zealand Pilot Freed After Year-Long Ordeal

Phillip Mark Mehrtens, a New Zealand pilot, was freed after being held hostage for over a year by separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua region. The release followed lengthy negotiations and collaborative efforts. Mehrtens expressed relief and gratitude, and he has been reunited with his family in Jakarta.

A New Zealand pilot held hostage for over a year in the volatile Papua region of Indonesia was freed Saturday by separatist rebels.

Phillip Mark Mehrtens, a 38-year-old pilot from Christchurch, was abducted by rebels from a remote airport on February 7, 2023, while working for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air.

"Today I finally got out. I am so happy to be back home with my family soon," Mehrtens said in a news conference in Timika. Television news showed an emaciated Mehrtens, long-haired and wearing dark-green clothing, sitting surrounded by police officers and local officials. He sobbed while speaking to his family via video, a police officer patting his back to console him. Later, he was flown to Jakarta to reunite with his family.

(With inputs from agencies.)