A desperate father has renewed his appeal for help finding his two young sons, who he claims were taken by their mother during a court-ordered visit to the UK and have not been seen by him for more than five months.

Ben Baier, 43, says his sons, Blaine, 5, and Nathaniel “Nate” Baier, 3, were supposed to return to him in Colorado after visiting their mother, Nishika Samaratunga, 34.

Instead, he says Samaratunga failed to return the boys, triggering legal proceedings in both the UK and the United States.

The children, who were born in the US and had been living with their father near Denver, have not been seen by him since March.

Dad Ben Baier is searching for his two sons, Nate and Blaine

Court Says Children May Be in “Imminent Danger”

The case has now prompted urgent concern over the boys’ welfare.

A Colorado court has previously authorised US law enforcement to take custody of the children because of what it described as a “credible risk that the children are in imminent danger.”

In a separate 29-page ruling issued recently, District Judge Michal Anne Lord-Blegen ordered that Samaratunga be prevented from seeing the boys, finding that she “presents an ongoing significant risk of harm” to them.

The judge also criticised her alleged decision to keep the children away from their father.

“Her abduction of the children, a crime in both the United States and the United Kingdom, confirms that she will take any measure to keep the children from [their] father,” the judge said, according to the ruling cited by the Mirror.

Samaratunga has not been located, according to the information provided by Baier’s legal team.

Nishika Samaratunga holding their son Blaine

Father Makes Emotional Plea

Baier is now appealing directly to the British public for information that could help authorities locate his children.

“My only concern at this point is ensuring that Blaine and Nathaniel are safe – children should not have to grow up on the run,” he said.

“Anything the British public can do to help us locate the children will help them get the support that they need.”

He claims the boys, who have autism, have been separated from their friends, relatives and the home they knew in the US.

“For more than five months now they have been cut off from friends, family and the only home they’d ever known, without access to the necessary resources to support their health and development,” Baier said.

“Please, Nishika, bring the boys home.”

Ben Baier’s sons, Nate (left) and Blaine

Couple Split After Four Years of Marriage

Baier and Samaratunga married in 2020, with Samaratunga moving from the UK to the United States.

Their relationship broke down in 2024.

The following year, Samaratunga applied to a Colorado court seeking permission to relocate with the children to London. That request was refused, and she subsequently returned to Britain without the boys, who remained in the US in the care of their maternal grandmother.

The Colorado court later ruled that Baier should become the boys’ primary custodial parent and that they should live in Colorado.

However, arrangements were also made for the children to travel to England for court-ordered contact with their mother.

The first visit took place between December and January.

The second visit occurred in March.

According to Baier, he travelled to the airport expecting to collect his sons and bring them back to Colorado. But Samaratunga allegedly failed to return them as required under the court order.

The judge subsequently described the alleged abduction as the realisation of Baier’s “worst fear” after he had previously warned about the possibility.

Nishika Samaratunga holding their son Blaine

Allegations About the Children’s Living Conditions

The Colorado court also raised concerns about the condition of the family home while Samaratunga was caring for the boys before leaving the United States.

Judge Lord-Blegen said the property had allegedly deteriorated to a point where it was “unsafe and unsanitary for the children to reside.”

The ruling described the home as having conditions that “bordered on injurious and neglectful.”

The judge also addressed allegations made by Samaratunga against Baier, including claims of child abuse and domestic violence, which the ruling characterised as part of an effort to prevent him from maintaining meaningful contact with the children.

These findings form part of ongoing family-court proceedings and allegations in the case remain subject to the relevant legal processes.

UK High Court Search Has So Far Failed

After the boys were allegedly not returned, Baier began proceedings in the UK High Court in an effort to locate them.

British judges issued orders seeking information from several organisations and companies, including JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, Thames Water and the NHS, in an attempt to trace Samaratunga.

Those efforts have so far failed to establish the whereabouts of the mother and children.

Baier’s legal representatives are now urging anyone who may have information to come forward.

Amy Rowe, a partner at Hunters Law LLP representing Baier, said: “It is vital for Blaine and Nathaniel’s welfare, both short- and long-term, that they are returned home safely.

“Please contact us confidentially if you have any information about their whereabouts.”

The search remains ongoing as courts in both countries continue to address the case and efforts to locate the two boys continue.