35-year-old Amanda Eller went missing on Wednesday May 8th in the Makawao Forest Reserve on Maui and has been found by search team leaders Javier Cantellops and Chris Berquist.
From the “Findamanda” Facebook page
“URGENT UPDATE! Amanda has been found. She got lost and was stuck and slightly injured in the forest- way way out. somewhere way far above Twin Falls. Between two waterfalls down a deep ravine in a creek bed. Chris and Javier spotted her and she spotted them, waving them down. She is being air evacuated now. She just talked to her father on the phone. Amanda Eller is ALIVE!!!!”
“We found her in a stream bed, she was waving up at us while we were in the helicopter, and we got her out nice and safe,” Chris Berquist said. “She was not injured. She has a little bit of exposure from the sun, a little bit of sunburn. She lost her shoes a few days in. But no injuries.”
Search team organizer, Sarah Haynes said Amanda had been living on water and plants for 16 days. Incidentally, I’ve known Sarah for about 14 years.
Sarah contacted Eller’s mother and father, John and Julia Eller on Friday May 9th and they cut a vacation overseas short and flew to Maui to join the search.
“Amanda was found by our own search team captains Chris snd Javier!! They were in a helicopter searching out of the general area where we have been in. She spotted them and they spotted her at the same time. She waved them down. She was deep in a creek bed between two waterfalls. She is just as strong as we always said she would be. We knew she could make it this long. Amanda is doing great she is just talked to her father from air evacuation helicopter. More soon!!”
Heres a photo of where Amanda Eller was found…
Amanda’s feet….
Photo Credits: Javier Cantellops