POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The group searching for a missing Auburndale woman needs help as it coordinates its third search effort for 38-year-old Tonya Whipp.
We Are The Essentials, a group of retired military and law enforcement members, will conduct the search on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. at Lake Blue Park in Auburndale and is looking for as many volunteers as possible.
“We’re asking for volunteers to come forward who are able to walk, search on foot. We will not need ATVs, golf carts, or boats for this particular search,” said the group’s co-founder, Billy Lane.
Whipp, who’s from Auburndale, went missing back in late May under what family members say are unusual circumstances. They say Whipp left behind her car and her dogs. They say she also stopped responding to her siblings.
“She wouldn’t do this to us. Bottom line. She wouldn’t. She wouldn’t put us through this. By now, we’re going through hell,” Donna Martin, one of Whipp’s sisters, said in an interview last week.
Last week, the Auburndale Police Department upgraded Whipp from “missing” to “missing and endangered.”
This week, three billboards went up around Polk County pleading for tips.
Also, over the last few days, a GoFundMe page was started in hopes of increasing the current $4,000 reward.
As for the search, no experience is required, and volunteers can come from anywhere.
“If you’re able to, bring water, bug spray, wear long shirts, long pants, wear a hat,” Lane said.
Lane hopes hundreds can show up to help and brave the oppressive heat because We Are the Essentials thinks the third search will be the most important one yet.
“Every search is very important, but now we’ve come to this one, and this may be one of our few last opportunities to really make an impact for this family,” Lane said.
Even though past searches didn’t turn up anything, he hopes the third time will be the charm.
“It could be something as small as a shoe or potentially even Tonya,” he said.
