Source: SFGate
“A New Zealand pilot held hostage for more than a year in the restive Papua region of Indonesia was freed Saturday by separatist rebels. Phillip Mark Mehrtens, a 38-year-old pilot from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air when he was abducted by rebels from a remote airport on Feb. 7, 2023. ‘Today I finally got out. I am so happy to be back home with my family soon,’ Mehrtens told reporters in a news conference in the mining town of Timika. ‘Thank you to everyone who helped me get out safety and healthy.’ Television news earlier showed an emaciated, long-haired Mehrtens, wearing a dark-green shirt and black shorts, sitting in a room surrounded by police officers and local officials.” (09/21/24)