Benjamin Konkol has searched tirelessly for his girlfriend, Amanda Eller, sinceshe vanished from a Hawaii nature reserveon Maui over a week ago, he said in a new interview.
Konkol toldABC Newshe was the last person to see the yoga instructor at their Haiku home on May 8 and reported her missing when she didn’t return home from an apparent hike in the Makawao Forest Reserve. Now he fears Eller, 35, may be trapped in the thick forest full of creeks, brush and ravines.
“Due to how thick the foliage is, we could have walked past her, for all we know,” Konkol told the outlet. “She could be unconscious at this point. Calling for her is helpful, it could wake her up, but at the same time it’s not necessarily a cue that she’s not in the area.”
Amanda was last seen around 7:30 a.m. that Wednesday and Konkol reported her missing the next day,Maui police said. On the day she was reported missing, police found her white Toyota RAV4 in the parking lot of the reserve around 9:50 a.m., according to the statement.
Find Amanda Eller/Facebook
A spokesperson for the family, Sarah Haynes, has said the familydoes not believe Konkol is involvedin Eller’s disappearance, and her father, John Eller, previously told PEOPLE, “There’s been absolutely zero indication of any foul play or involvement on his part — or anybody’s part for that matter.”
Maui police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.
Recentlyreleased surveillance footageshowed Eller in workout gear heading to the Haiku Post Office the morning she vanished.
Amanda Eller.Find Amanda Eller/Facebook
She wasapparently sending a Mother’s Day package, according to a Facebook page dedicated to finding Eller. Her family said she may be injured in the forest.
“Hope is not lost,” Konkol told ABC. “There’s still so much of a chance that we can find her.”
“Amanda is one of the most amazing people I know,” he added. “She’s radiantly beautiful — driven, successful, intelligent, super kind, loving, just overall wants to live the best life she can live.”
source: people.com
