MN MN - Tonya Yarmakov, 23, Autistic, diabetic, family says she ran from fishing dock, Savanna Portage State Park, McGregor, Aitkin County, 4 Sep 2024

[ErinC]

*sighs* Check the water. I don't think we've had an autistic kid in recent memory who WASN'T in the water. Maybe Sebastian Rogers but even then we don't know for a fact that he's not in it.

 

[mlhenn]

How far could Tonya have gone, I do not understand

JMO but I think the dense forest and there being a lake are what’s making it hard to search/find her.

 

[airportwoman]

There is water all around. I think she's in the lake and I think eventually she will be found. Such a sad situation.

jmo

I agree.

I have a relative with autism (thankfully, she is not diabetic) and she looks EXACTLY like Tonya. I also have a Facebook friend (worked with her many years ago) whose son is sort of the same way; my relative and Tonya have darker hair and complexions, and my former co-worker's son is a balding "ginger", but their facies and body types really match up.

Whether Tonya had a pump, or even a Dexcomm unit (it looks like a very thick skin patch, and delivers insulin as needed, the information sent by an RFID chip elsewhere on the body; you'd recognize them if you saw them) would depend on many factors.

 

[PommyMommy]

SEP 19, 2024

Drone teams take to the sky searching for missing woman in Minnesota State Park

The Aitkin County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team launched their drone in Savanna Portage State Park on Wednesday afternoon, trying to find Tonya Yarmakov, who was last seen Sept. 4.

kstp.com

[...]

The search team’s drone is programmed to look for the color purple in Tonya’s tie-dyed shirt that she was wearing the day she disappeared.

The recording from the drone flight is then later analyzed by a computer program.

[...]

Michelle says the family went out in this rowboat, not too far from shore, while Tonya sat on the dock.

[...]

Investigators have reviewed park security footage to see if that could shed light on her whereabouts.

The sheriff doesn’t feel she left but is somewhere in the park as teams look for her body.

[...]

 

[Goecke]

*sighs* Check the water. I don't think we've had an autistic kid in recent memory who WASN'T in the water. Maybe Sebastian Rogers but even then we don't know for a fact that he's not in it.

I hate to be THAT person, but Tonya is 23- hardly a "kid". Autistic adults are still adults.

I wonder if she has a history of eloping or if this came completely out of the blue.

 

[truthfinder2019]

I suppose not IMO, otherwise probably they would not have left her on the dock.
This is what the mother reported (quoted from article posted by PommyMommy above):

Michelle says the family went out in this rowboat, not too far from shore, while Tonya sat on the dock.

“We had absolutely no reason to suspect that she was going to run up, just jump up and run away,” Yarmakov said.

 

[Goecke]

This is speculation of course, but if she didn't have a history of eloping and this was completely out of character for her, I wonder if she could have had some sort of mental health crisis (unrelated to her autism). She's about the right age for schizophrenia symptoms to show up.

 

[aimeea]

I hate to be THAT person, but Tonya is 23- hardly a "kid". Autistic adults are still adults.

I wonder if she has a history of eloping or if this came completely out of the blue.

As an autistic adult myself with an autistic child, THANK YOU. Autistic adults are often unnecessarily infantilized because we tend to have more child-like appearances but, no matter what level of support needs we have, we're still adults. Everything mentions that they saw her running away from the dock--but it doesn't really give any indication of demeanor--did she see an insect that she wanted to get away from? Did she see something interesting that she wanted to tell others about (and not know where everyone was)? I feel like either way, if she has comorbidities (diabetes especially), it's really easy for being emotionally dysregulated due to the autism can very easily turn into some other medical event. A lot of us have underlying autonomic disorders like POTS that can lead to fainting.

I hope they find her soon.

 

[PommyMommy]

SEP 20, 2024

Hotline & Email Started for Woman Who Vanished in MN State Park

23-year-old Tonya Yarmakov was last seen on September 4.

krocnews.com

Officials have now set up a hotline and email address for tips as the search for a young woman who vanished in a Minnesota state park continues.

[...]

Anyone who has information on the young woman’s disappearance is asked to call the hotline phone number at 188-900-2138 or email [email protected].

 

[PommyMommy]

SEP 21, 2024

Vigil held for woman missing from Aikin County

Tonya Yarmakov, 23, was reported missing from Savanna State Park on Sept. 4.

www.kare11.com

St. Olaf College in Northfield hosted a candlelight vigil for 23-year-old Tonya Yarmakov, who was last seen on Sept. 4 while camping with her family in Savanna State Park near McGregor, Minnesota.

Officials said they've used drones, dogs and planes to search for the missing woman.

 

[ClaraJune2288]

I live 10 minutes away from Savanna State Park and reading this broke my heart because I also have an autistic child. The state park is full of dense forests and lots of water. I pray she is found.

 

[Inthedetails]

I live 10 minutes away from Savanna State Park and reading this broke my heart because I also have an autistic child. The state park is full of dense forests and lots of water. I pray she is found.

Welcome to Websleuths, though I'm sorry a worrisome situation close to home brought you here.

 

[ClaraJune2288]

Welcome to Websleuths, though I'm sorry a worrisome situation close to home brought you here.

Thank you! It’s just heartbreaking and it’s not sitting right in my mind. Especially as an autistic parent myself.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Thank you! It’s just heartbreaking and it’s not sitting right in my mind. Especially as an autistic parent myself.

Welcome! What happened in your opinion? Why would Tonya suddenly stand up and run away?

 

[truthfinder2019]

Unfortunately an obituary has been published for Tonya on 9/21. :-(

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/northfieldnews/name/tonya-yarmakov-obituary?id=56360769

I cannot access the full text, if any of you could please copy it

 

[Inthedetails]

Unfortunately an obituary has been published for Tonya on 9/21. :-(

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/northfieldnews/name/tonya-yarmakov-obituary?id=56360769

I cannot access the full text, if any of you could please copy it

It is available only to the newspaper's subscribers.

 

[Inthedetails]

Here is an announcement that doesn't require a subscription or login:

Tonya Yarmakov

DUNDAS — The light and joy of our life went out on September 4, 2024 when Tonya went missing in Savanna Portage state park in northern MN. She vanished without

www.southernminn.com

 

[truthfinder2019]

Unfortunately unavailable outside the US

 

[Cb3800]

Tonya Yarmakov

DUNDAS — The light and joy of our life went out on September 4, 2024 when Tonya went missing in Savanna Portage state park in northern MN. She vanished without

www.southernminn.com

 

[kaen]

Devastatingly sad on so many levels. Her family must be gutted. The commentary about places for her to grow outside her home is dead on. I wish her family peace.