OLDSMAR, Fla. — A volunteer search group located a mother of two who had been reported missing nearly a week ago.
Anu Awasthi was reported missing by her family on Thursday, Aug. 10.
Her husband said he dropped her off for a haircut at a Walmart on Tampa Road in Oldsmar. He said when she returned, she was gone.
"I came back an hour later, and the hairdresser told me that she left right after I dropped her off. She did not even get her hair done," said Vikas Awasthi, Anu's husband.
She was last seen near a CVS.
A volunteer search group called "We Are The Essentials" searched the area on Tuesday. The group was back out again around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
President of "We Are The Essentials" Nico Tusconi said the group started using drones.
"We gathered some further intelligence which brought us back to this place, and about 3 p.m., a little after 3 p.m., we were able to locate her," said Tusconi.
Tusconi discovered and located her in a wooded area by the Walmart.
"We had been searching around and found a CVS bag, and we know she had been in CVS seven days ago. We started doing a grid search, and probably about 20 minutes after that, started hearing some whimpering, started moving toward that sound, started to yell her name, and the whimpering got louder," said Tusconi.
Tusconi said volunteers alerted authorities. Anu was then taken to a local hospital.
"She was communicating, but barely. She looked like she had been going in and out of shock, and the elements and some of the ants got to her," said Tusconi.
Anu's husband and two sons visited her in the hospital on Wednesday and were overwhelmed with emotion.
"To see her actually with my own eyes, confirm it was her, best moment of my life," said Rohan Swasthi, Anu's son.
"We are the Essentials" was formed several years ago during the Gabby Petito case. The group runs on donations and is made up of volunteers who are former law enforcement and military members.
"We are a volunteer organization. We're like myself, retired military. These guys are retired law enforcement. We have private investigators. We work solely on donations," said Tusconi. "We're not out here to win a competition or get a pat on the back. We're here to help a family find a missing loved one."
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office confirmed Anu was located near the CVS at Tampa Road and Forest Lakes Boulevard in Oldsmar and is safe and well.
At this time, her disappearance does not appear suspicious or criminal in nature, but the case is still open and active.
