Amanda Eller, Missing Hiker in Hawaii Forest, found alive after 17 days

Who is Amanda Eller, Missing Hiker in Hawaii Forest, found alive after 17 days?

The Yoga instructor and physiotherapist Amanda Eller have been found alive after almost two and a half weeks at the Makawao Forest Reserve, Hawaii. Eller got ventured into a dense forest in Hawaii while going on hiking on May 8th, 2019.

After 17 days missing, over two weeks searching, and thousands of volunteer hours logged, Amanda Eller is, fortunately, alive and is doing fairly well considering, according to family and friends.

Amanda was last seen by her boyfriend, Benjamin Konkol, who said Eller was meditating when he left for work at around 7:30 a.m. on the same day when she left for hiking i.e. on May 8th, 2019.

Eller loves outdoor moving and hiking and was so confident about her three-miles long hike that she would finish it so quickly that phone and water were unnecessary for her.

Source:  heavy.com

Who is Missing Hiker in Hawaii forest for 17 days?

How did Amanda Eller survive: no food no nothing?

Amanda Eller is an outdoor lover, so she had been to hike several times before that she knew the terrain from her previous hike and veered off the trail for a quick rest. But when she got up to resume, she was turned around, and in a quixotic search for the trail, Eller fractured her leg and even tore her meniscus on the third day.

Eller was so much confident about the hike that she left behind her wallet, her phones, water, and her keys all hidden in her car's tire well parked at the Makawao Forest Reserve, Hawaii.  That means she had nothing like no nothing, not even a single help. 

She got lost alone in the dense forest with nothing with her that she had to depend on the forest for her survival. She ate moths and wild strawberry guavas, as she could identify those.  Other plants were risky and unknown meals. Eller used ferns and leaves for her warmth when the temperature plummeted, and one night, she even slept in a wild boar’s den.

A flood took her shoes, leaving her barefoot and crawling. Eller lost quite a bit of weight, about 20 pounds as anyone can imagine, being lost for a large amount of time,

Eller is now discharged from the hospital, Maui Memorial Medical Center, as she was quickly treated in the 'Emergency Department' and assessed to be in fair condition, according to a hospital spokesperson.

“We are thrilled to report the great news that Amanda Eller was able to leave the hospital on her own accord to continue her rehab and recovery with family and loved ones,” said Michael Rembis, CEO of Maui Health System.

 “The staff and physicians at Maui Memorial Medical Center involved in her treatment and care are rejoicing at the miraculous news of her great outcome.”

How Eller was found: Was it easy?

Source: abcnews.com

Eller's disappearance was headline news of the U.S. that triggered a massive search drawing hundreds of volunteers, even after authorities scaled back their efforts early on. Her disappearance gained national attention and she was featured on the television show "Dateline" as well.

As soon as her family knew about her disappearance they immediately offered a $50,000 reward for finding her, up from $10,000 in the days after Eller’s disappearance, and hired a helicopter crew to search for her by air. It was really hard and difficult to have hope for a person who has been lost for more than two weeks with no food, to be alive.

But thankfully, Eller was found alive on May 24th, 2019, Friday, after 17 days of her lost, sunburned and smiling. A helicopter search team found her unwell in the deep ravine, waving at the helicopter. 

She was so weak that she was airlifted to a hospital named "Maui Memorial Medical Center". Searchers Troy Helmer, Javier Cantellops and Chris Berquist spotted the missing hiker from the air, foraging for food.

When Eller was rescued, she was completely sunburned and weak but she managed to survive which is a very very big deal.

Reaction Towards Eller Survival?

Source: Prevention.com

It is really an unbelievable issue that Eller has been found alive, after her disappearance for 17 long days alone in the dense forest with no one alongside her.

Eller detailed her survival to the New York Times in an interview

“I wanted to give up but the only option I had was life or death.”

Her parents teared up with joy and happiness after knowing their strong girl survived the death in the forest alone.

John Eller, her father has said

  “She figured it out, she was smart, she was strong, she was prepared. We said that in the beginning, and it was absolutely true, and she took a good fall."

Julia Eller, her mother also said:

 “She lost quite a bit of weight, as you can imagine, being lost for that amount of time but she was able to survive it. She had the right skills and did the right things to buy time so that we had a chance to find her.”

One of the search team member Cantellops told CNN:

  “It was unbelievable, dude, seeing her for the first time in a long time was just unbelievable. It was nothing short of elation.”

Cantellops wrote on Facebook:

 “Amanda Eller you are one tough a-- woman!!! We are all blown away at your barefoot resilience!!!”