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.

“The thought of losing someone is horrible, my search and rescue crews are some of the most dedicated in the state of Minnesota,” Aitkin County Sheriff Dan Guida.

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.

Yarmakov, 23, was vacationing with her family at a cabin in the park.

Her family said she is autistic and has type-1 diabetes, which concerns them about her ability to survive the conditions at the park as time went on.

“It’s a living nightmare,” said Michelle Yarmakov, who spoke with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS last week as she awaited word about her daughter.

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.

Investigators said the family searched for about an hour before contacting park officials.

The sheriff’s office has had search teams from across the state come over the last two weeks to help but haven’t found any sign of Tonya.

“They [volunteers] are out here today because they believe in their heart of hearts that she is out here and they want to figure it out,” Sherrif Guida said.

Cadaver dogs are part of the search efforts in the park.

“It’s crazy how much they’ve covered — they are redoing stuff they’ve done — they are expanding out to these areas, it’s very unprobable that she’s going to be,” Sheriff Guida said. “But she’s got to be somewhere.”

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.

“It is frustrating,” Sheriff Guida said about two weeks of searching without a sign of the woman.

The sheriff said he and the volunteers are committed to bringing Tonya home to her family.

“It would be a great closure for the family and everyone else in the state of Minnesota,” Sheriff Guida said.

The Yarmakov family has planned a candlelight vigil for Tonya on Friday at 7 p.m. at St. Olaf College’s Boe Chapel. If you can help investigators with any information, you are asked to call the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office at 888-900-2138.