Missing Polk County woman Tonya Whipp search party in need of volunteers
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Let's find Tonya Whipp. That is the message heading into this weekend as Polk County organizers plan a third search party for the 38-year-old in as many weeks.
Whipp was reported missing from her home in Auburndale on June 29, but her family says they'd been unable to reach her since May 26.
The intensified search efforts will this time focus on the area surrounding Auburndale's Lake Blue, with volunteers meeting at 8:30 a.m. Sunday at Lake Blue Park on the lake's east side.
The group leading the grassroots search efforts is called We Are The Essentials, comprised of retired law enforcement officers and military service members who assist in missing person cases. Hundreds of volunteers have joined the search in recent weeks.
Organizers announced the latest effort on Wednesday after meeting for four hours to discuss logistics, according to the group.
Pictured: Tonya Whipp. Courtesy: Auburndale Police Department.
In a video posted on social media, We Are The Essentials co-founder Nico Tusconi said the group would need as many able-bodied volunteers as possible.
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"We really need your help on this one," Tusconi said. "We're not going to need ATVs, golf carts or anything like that. What we do need are boots on the ground," before going on to say that he could not stress enough how important the search would be.
A group from 'We are the Essentials' search for missing woman Tonya Whipp.
Organizers will sort volunteers into teams before deploying them to several nearby search areas that are of interest in the case.
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The search will encompass wooded areas with high grass, so volunteers are encouraged to wear hiking boots.
Pictured: Tonya Whipp
Extreme heat will also play a factor with organizers urging volunteers to bring plenty of water and cooling towels. Bug spray and sunscreen are also encouraged.
Last week, police upgraded Whipp's status, increasing the urgency of the case from 'missing' to 'missing and endangered.'
The group We are the Essentials is in need of volunteers for search for missing Polk County woman Tonya Whipp over the weekend.
Whipp's sisters say that when she disappeared, she left behind her car, her purse and her beloved dog and that she would never simply vanish without telling them.
There is now a $4,000 reward for information leading to Whipp's whereabouts, with billboards going up this week around Polk County pleading for tips in the case.