Six-Year-Old Girl Reunited With Mum After Going Missing With Sailing Dad

A six-year-old New Zealand girl reunited with mum after going missing with her father from the North Island on the 17th of December.

The girl, Que Langdon, and her father, 49-year-old Alan Langon, reappeared at Ulladulla after making the 2,600km trip in a 6.4 metre catamaran.

Alan and his ex-partner Ariane Wyler were in the midst of an alleged custody battle for Que when she went missing with her father.

Alan Langdon has since been charged over his Tasman Sea adventure, which he claims was actually the result of a broken rudder. According to Langdon, he had originally planned to sail north from his leaving point to the Bay of Islands for Christmas. However, a broken rudder meant that he was forced to cross the Tasman Sea, showing up 27 days later.

His disappearance, along with this daughter, sparked an international manhunt that involved both law enforcement and child recovery agencies. Que was ultimately reunited with her mother a few days after arriving in Australia, after being snatched from her father’s custody.

Langdon told ABC that his daughter’s unplanned reunion with her mother was “a bit hard to grasp”.

“We came in to have some breakfast and while I was preparing breakfast, Que went to the toilet. And when I called out, I realised she wasn’t there,” he said.

“Be strong. I hope you are alright. I send you always my strength.”

Ms Wyler and her daughter are thought to be travelling to Melbourne to stay with family and friends while they decide what to do next. According to sources close to the story, Wyler and Langdon were supposed to appear in family court proceedings in March, just before Langdon disappeared with his daughter.

According to a child recovery specialise hired by Ms Wyler, Que’s passport was seized by a New Zealand court to prevent her travelling internationally, meaning she arrived in Australia without a passport.

Mr Langdon continues to deny that his leaving the country was intentional or that he had done so to avoid court.

Langdon is expected to be extradited to New Zealand to appear in the Tw Awamutu District Court on January 25th.

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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