Find Amanda

AMANDA ELLER HAS BEEN FOUND!  Facebook page (with the most up to date information on the progress of the seach): https://www.facebook.com/AmandaEllersMissing/  Who is Amanda Eller? Amanda is a beloved, 35-year-old physical therapist and yoga instructor who lives and practices in Haiku, Maui. She has been missing since Wednesday, May 8 (see detailed timeline below, under "What Happened to Amanda?") after being last seen at her home by her boyfriend, Benjamin Konkol, around 7 AM. Her white Toyota RAV-4 vehicle (license plate LEZ 110) was discovered by a Maui Police patrol car in the Kahakapao Trail upper parking lot around 9:50 AM on the 8th, after receiving a call from Konkol reporting her missing around 7:20 AM on the same morning. Amanda is approximately 5' 9", 145 lbs., 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. She maintains a successful physical therapy practice and yoga studio in Haiku and is widely loved by many in the community.  What happened to Amanda? A timeline of Amanda Eller’s disappearance (according to Maui Police Department): Wednesday, May 8 • 10:06-10:11 a.m. Video surveillance shows Eller at Haiku Market purchasing items alone. She is wearing a white tank top, blue yoga pants and black slippers. • 10:19 a.m. Eller seen at the Haiku Post Office mailing a package. • 10:21 a.m. Eller’s vehicle, a 2015 white Toyota RAV4, is seen on video leaving the Haiku Post Office parking lot. • Around 12:12 p.m. Eller’s RAV4, license No. LEZ110, is observed within the gravel parking lot near “Hunter’s Trail” at Makawao Forest Reserve by off-duty Maui Fire Department personnel hiking. • Around 7 p.m. Parks personnel observed the white Toyota RAV4 in the Hunter’s Gate parking lot. Attempts to contact anyone in area did not yield anything. Thursday, May 9 • Around 7:21 a.m. Eller’s boyfriend, Ben Konkol, reports Eller missing to Maui Police. He described several possible locations Eller liked to frequent, which included the Makawao Forest Reserve. • Around 9:50 a.m. Maui Police patrol officers locate Eller’s vehicle in the Hunter’s Gate parking lot. • Around 10:30 a.m. Maui Fire Department personnel respond to the parking lot along with Eller’s boyfriend. The key to Eller’s vehicle was located hidden beneath the vehicle. Her purse was found on the front passenger floorboard, which contained her cellphone, wallet, identification and credit cards. A backpack and full water bottle were found on the front passenger seat. Black slippers were found on the front passenger floorboard. Eller’s running shoes were not at her residence, Konkol said. Amanda may be lost/injured in the Makawao Forest, or, she may have met with foul play. Either way, there is a large effort underway spearheaded by her friends in the community and family members, to search for Amanda in the regions in and surrounding the forest. The Fire Dept. called off their search after 72 hours as is standard protocol, but the police investigation remains open and there are over a hundred local volunteers involved. The family is offering $10,000 for Eller’s safe return, and is coordinating volunteers to continue searching the forest. For up-to-the-minute updates on progress of the search for Amanda, visit the Find Amanda Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaEllersMissing/  Other news stories about Amanda's disappearance: https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2019/05/volunteers-continue-to-search-for-amanda-eller/ https://abcnews.go.com/US/search-continues-amanda-eller-woman-missing-hike-maui/story?id=62986679 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czvR_TZSgIs Why support the search for Amanda? This GoFundMe page has been established to help Amanda's family and friends cover the costs of taking on an extended search for her, now that the Fire Dept. has called off the "official" search. Funds for Emergency Support, hiring experienced climbers/rappellers/hikers, water and supplies, helicopter and drone services, and other services will be needed on an ongoing basis. Family, friends and professional colleagues of the Eller family have set up the page for anyone who would like to support their efforts and aren't able to be present on the scene. From Katie York, Amanda's best friend who is "on the ground" in Maui and helping with the search effort: "By now, Amanda Eller has become a part of your lives. Whether you know her personally, or you’ve been touched by her story, her light and energy have penetrated the nation. There has been an overwhelming number of you who have asked how you can help - here’s how. We need help funding our search. Whether it’s for search logistics today, or for future recovery efforts tomorrow, we graciously will accept anything you feel you can offer. Our team is strong and today is the day we bring Amanda home. From our Ohana to yours, MAHALO."