MCGREGOR, Minn. — Search and rescue efforts are ongoing for a woman who went missing in rural Aitkin County last week as multiple local and state agencies and volunteers continue to comb through the area north of McGregor.
In an update posted to its Facebook page Tuesday morning, the Aitkin County Sheriff's Office said Tonya Yarmakov, 23, still hadn't been located since her family reported her missing from Savanna State Park on Sept. 4. Authorities said they're concerned for Yarmakov's wellbeing because she lives with autism and type 1 diabetes.
According to the sheriff's original press release, Yarmakov was in the park outside McGregor with her family the morning she went missing. The release said family members allegedly told authorities they left Yarmakov alone on a dock as they went fishing, and around noon, saw her get up and run away.
The statement said the family launched their own search before reporting her missing around 1:30 p.m.
Yarmakov is 5 feet tall and has dark brown hair. The sheriff said she was last seen wearing a rainbow tie-dyed t-shirt, gym shorts, black shoes and black headphones.
According to police, crews have logged hundreds of hours searching for Yarmakov thus far, but have not turned up any leads.
In the days following Yarmakov's disappearance, a fundraiser was set up to help her family cover related costs. It reads, in part:
"We know in our hearts that Tonya has not survived this ordeal, without the insulin she needed daily to control her diabetes. Still, Tonya’s family desperately wants her found. The Yarmakovs live nearly four hours from the park where Tonya went missing, and have been forced to find local accommodations while they continue their search. They have driven hundreds of miles, are far from home, and their time off work is running out.
"This fundraiser has been created to support the Yarmakovs, parents Michelle and Rinat and brother Timur, while they continue the search for their beloved Tonya and deal with the aftermath of this tragedy. Funds gathered will be given to the family to help with expenses incurred during this terrible time: hotel rooms, gas, food. Proceeds from this fundraiser will also help the family pay for a celebration of life for Tonya, a cemetery plot, headstone and potential recovery costs."
If you have information about Yarmakov's current whereabouts, the Aitkin County Sheriff's Office urges you to contact them at 218-927-7435 or call 911.