COSTA RICA NEWS – One of Alaska’s most respected and seasoned adventurers has travelled to Costa Rica to assist in the search efforts for his son, Cody Roman Dial, missing for two weeks after last seen entering on July 22 near the Parque Nacional Corcovado (Corcovado National park), in Osa.
Roman Dial, the Alaska Pacific environmental science professor, holds well-earned fame among wilderness enthusiasts for his globe-trotting treks, passing on his skills as an experienced outdoorsman to his 27 years old son.
Friends and family of Cody are trusting that the shared knowledge is helping him keep alive.
Since his disappearances two weeks ago there has been no sign of his whereabouts. Carlos Herrera of Costa Rica Cruz Roja Costarricense (Costa Rican Red Cross) believes Dial may have entered the park alone for a second time, believed in the area known as El Tigre.
Cody started his travels in Latin America in January, taking a hiatus from his pursuit of a master’s degree in environmental sciene.
Both Roman and his wife Peggy Dial, believe their son may have climbed down a raving in an effort to follow a waterway and exit the park and is possible he may have suffered a fall.
Peggy added that the New Mexico National Guard are headed to Costa Rica to rappel into he narrow gorges, the area where Roman will be focusing his search efforts.
The Alaska Dispatch News that has been following the story since Cody’s disappearance said that getting the American reserve force into Costa Rica took effort. When Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell heard about Cody’s disappearance — the politician is a member of Alaska’s chapter of the Explorers Club, along with Roman — he began researching which U.S. state had ties to the country, said Peggy.
Treadwell knew Alaska has an agreement with Mongolia to train its armed forces. He went looking for a state linked to Costa Rica and discovered New Mexico has an agreement with the national security forces of that country. However, the Costa Rican president needed to give the OK for American intervention, even for things like search-and-rescues.
“From the discussions I’ve had, the U.S. embassy is on the case and the New Mexico National Guard is working to help,” Treadwell said Monday. “They’re aware of Costa Rica’s capabilities, and now they’re moving forward and may ask for more help.”
Expanding search efforts require more than manpower. They also require cash. Luckily, competitors in the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic Adventure Race, a 250-mile grass-roots footrace held annually since 1982, agreed to donate the participants’ $100 entry fees to the Dials and their search for Cody. They raised about $2,800 Friday before the weekend start of that event, says the Alaska Dispatch.
A fund has also been set up to help continue the search. The Dials are asking that checks be sent to Margaret Dial at Alaska USA Federal Credit Union.
