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2 years since woman with autism vanished at MN state park
Nearly two years ago, 23-year-old Tonya Yarmakov of Dundas vanished from Savanna Portage State Park — and her family still has no answers. FOX 9's Maury Glover has more.
DUNDAS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Tonya Yarmakov was sitting on a dock one moment, and gone the next.
Nearly two years of searching
What we know:
It has been nearly two years since the Yarmakov family's world changed at Savanna Portage State Park, about 50 miles west of Duluth. Tonya, who was 23 years old and from Dundas, had autism and Type 1 diabetes. Her mother, Michelle Yarmakov, says the time since has felt uneven — sometimes like two days, other times like two lifetimes.
Tonya disappeared on Sept. 4, 2024, during a family vacation. She was sitting on a dock while the rest of her family took a boat out on the lake near their rental cabin. At some point, she looked over her shoulder several times, then ran toward the main park road. Her family has not seen her since.
"Well, of course, it's a parent's worst nightmare. One minute she's on the dock, then she's running, and we never see her again," said Michelle Yarmakov, Tonya's mother.
'It was completely out of character'
The backstory:
Despite her autism, Michelle says Tonya was a social butterfly who loved talking to people. The family has spent the past two years reshaping their lives around finding her — handing out flyers at county fairs and building a website where people can download and print pamphlets with Tonya's photos to help spread the word.
Michelle says she does not think Tonya wandered off on her own. She believes her daughter was deliberately targeted.
"I firmly believe that someone was there calling to her. We think that she was absolutely targeted because of the autism, because she wore headphones almost all the time," said Michelle.
'It was like she vanished'
What they're saying:
The family is planning a community support gathering at a park in Northfield, where they planted a tree in Tonya's honor, to mark the second anniversary of the last time they saw her.
"We miss her every single day. She was literally our life and our world. She was a joy," said Michelle.
Holding out hope
What we don't know:
It remains unclear what happened to Tonya after she ran toward the main park road.
Michelle says the family will not stop until they have answers.
"Someone knows something. They do. We need the truth, and the truth I think will bring her home," said Michelle.