A 35-year-old hiker who had gone missing while hiking in Maui, Hawaii, more than two weeks ago has been found alive.
Friends and family of Amanda Eller posted an announcement in the late afternoon on May 24 saying that she had been found.
“She is being air-evacuated now, she just talked to her father on the phone. Amanda Eller is alive!” the announcement read.
“She was very aware, very alert. She looks a little skinnier than she was last time, I think, and she’s a little tanner than she was, but other than that, perfectly healthy,” he said according to Maui Now.
A helicopter pilot who was hired by Eller’s family spotted her, according to HawaiiNewsNow. John Eller said that one of the men who had found his daughter was Javier Cantellops, the outlet reported. Cantellops owns a diving company on the Valley Isle.
Cantellops posted photos of himself and Eller on his Facebook page to share with the public his joy of having found her, as well as immense gratitude for those who had been supporting the search.
“I think I’ve earned a beer,” Cantellops said. “I love you guys so much, thank you guys so much. We'll see you soon!”
Eller is a Maui physical therapist and yoga instructor. She was reported missing in Maui on May 9 by her boyfriend, Benjamin Konkol, after her car was found parked near Makawao Forest Reserve with her wallet and cellphone inside on May 8.
“He’s been out there—first guy out there, one of the last guys back, putting tons of energy into looking around out there, absolutely,” Chris Berquist, a volunteer team leader in the search for Eller, told Maui Now on May 16.