Woman with autism missing after family trip to state park, recovery efforts underway

AITKIN COUNTY, Minn. — Authorities say they’re hoping to recover the body of a 23-year-old woman with autism and Type 1 diabetes who went missing from a Minnesota state park last week.

Tonya Yarmakov’s family said they last saw her around noon on Sept. 4, when they went out fishing in Savanna Portage State Park. She was out on the dock alone, and they saw her get up and run away, according to the Aitkin County sheriff.

As of Tuesday, volunteers had logged more than 2,200 search hours. 

On Friday morning, the sheriff said they scaled down the rescue mission to a recovery mission.

Yarmakov is described as 5 feet tall with dark brown hair. She was last seen wearing a rainbow tie dye shirt, gym shorts, black shoes and black headphones.