Amanda Eller, a 35-year-old yoga instructor and physical therapist who was in Hawaii, was last seen nearly a week ago. While on a hike on the trails of Maui’s Makawao Forest on Wednesday, May 8, Eller disappeared.
The Maui County Department of Fire & Public Safety announced on Sunday, May 12 that they were suspending the search for Eller. Her car was left in the Makawao Forest Reserve parking lot and while the search has been suspended, the Maui Police Department will continue seeking information on her whereabouts, according to KHON2.
The decision for the fire department to stop their search after 72 hours is typical protocol.
“It’s not out of the ordinary for her to go there, not out of the ordinary for her to leave her belongings in her car, including her cell phone. She likes to unplug,” her friend Sarah Haynes told CBS News. “It appears to us at this point that she is either way off the trail — you know, having gotten injured, or fallen maybe — or somebody interrupted her between her car and her run.”
Haynes added, “We are by no means calling off this search” as she continues to organize a search party which now has more than 112 members.
Eller’s parents are currently offering a $10,000 award for any information leading to their daughter’s safe return.
The yoga instructor has been described by friends as “approximately 5-foot-9, 145-pounds, with long brown hair and an athletic build. She is a very positive, energetic, outgoing person who is strong physically, mentally and spiritually. She is widely described as a fun, positive person who loves life, loves nature and the outdoors, and has no known struggles with depression or any other mental or emotional disorders.”
For more information on Amanda Eller’s disappearance and how you can help, you can check out the Findamanda Facebook page and the GoFundMe account.
Amanda Eller, 35-Year-Old Yoga Instructor, Goes Missing During Hike in Hawaii
