A Vermont man has reportedly been shot in the leg by gunmen in the Philippines who then abducted him and fled in a boat, according to law enforcement authorities in that country.
The Associated Press reported Friday that police in Sibuco, in the southern province of Zamboanga del Norte, identified the victim of the Thursday night abduction as 26-year-old Elliot Onil Eastman of Vermont.
“Initial reports indicate that four men, falsely presenting themselves as law enforcement officers, forcibly took a 26-year-old American national from his residence,” the regional police agency said in a press release.
“While he initially resisted,” the agency added, “he was unfortunately shot in the leg and later taken aboard a boat heading towards the high seas.”
Several law enforcement agencies were working together “to conduct a high pursuit operation,” according to the release.
“We want to assure the public, particularly the community of Sibuco, that we are doing everything in our power to secure the safe recovery of the victim,” police said.
The U.S. Department of State, through a spokesperson, said in an email that it was aware of the reports and coordinating with local authorities. The spokesperson added that the department does not generally comment on reports of potential kidnappings while investigations are ongoing.
In an online travel advisory for the island of Mindanao, where Sibuco is located, the State Department said that terrorist and armed groups on the island have “historically engaged in kidnappings for ransom,” along with bombings and other attacks.
“These incidents often target foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, as well as civilians, local government entities, and security forces,” the State Department said in the travel advisory.
The New York Times reported Friday that local authorities said Eastman had been living in the Philippines since May and had first arrived in the country a year earlier, when he met his wife, Karisha Jala Eastman. They married in July 2023. Eastman returned to the United States for work, The Times reported, before traveling back to the Philippines this year.
A Facebook page appearing to belong to Eastman features recent photos and videos of his life in the Philippines and identifies his hometown as Hinesburg. The page links to a YouTube account that includes similar content from the Philippines, as well as a video from Vermont. An Instagram account that also appears to belong to him includes tagged images of him wearing a Champlain Valley Union High School jersey.
A 2016 yearbook from the high school, which is located in Hinesburg, includes an Elliot Eastman who resembles the man featured in the social media accounts. The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
VTDigger could not immediately reach apparent family members in the area.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermonter reportedly shot, abducted in the Philippines .