American Reported Missing in Costa Rica

[Jeff Dunsavage]

The Tico Times reports that a U.S. man  has been missing inside Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica's southwestern Osa Peninsula for more than two weeks.

Park rangers and a Red Cross rescue team are now searching for 27-year-old Alaska native Cody Dial, who goes by his middle name Roman and who is believed to have entered the park on July 10. Taking time off from pursuing his master’s degree in environmental science, Dial had been traveling through Mexico and Central America since January, according to Dial’s father — also named Roman Dial. Dial’s father received an email from his son the day before he planned to enter Corcovado, but has not heard from him since.

Read full article.

Cody joins the growing list of Americans and others who have disappeared or been murdered while traveling in Costa Rica in recent years. These include:

Craig Snell (U.S.)

Brendan Dobbins (Australia)

David Gimelfarb (U.S.)

Michael Dixon (U.K.)

Barbara Struncova (Czech Republic)

Kim Paris (Canada)

John Scibek (U.S.)

Mark and Laura Vockery (U.S.)

Dana Colligan (U.S.)

Kurt Heigis (U.S.)

Good numbers are hard to obtain, but Costa Rica's  Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) said that in 2013 they received 853 reports of missing persons, of which 245 were aged between 13 and 17 (see Costa Rica Star).

[Jennifer Ehlert]

Here is a recent article about Cody Dial.  His dad is trying to get US support for the search.  I think most of us here can understand his frustration.

http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/outdoor/alaskan-adventurer-ask...