Alaska kayaker still missing in Costa Rica

Almost two weeks ago,  27-year-old Alaskan Cody Dial was reported missing on a kayak trip in Costa Rica. Dial is the son of Roman Dial, a well-known outdoorsman and Alaska Pacific University professor.

In a call from Costa Rica yesterday, the elder Dial says the search for his son has turned up nothing so far,  and that requests for help from the U.S. by the Costa Rican  government have not been answered.

Dial has asked that Alaska’s Congressional delegation put pressure on U.S. officials to help.  He says the process has stalled in bureaucratic – heavy Washington, DC

Dial says the Costa Rican Red Cross, which has been assisting in the search since August 1, decided to pull out of the rescue effort about a week ago.  Dial says with a few experts in climbing and jungle living,  he believes his son can be located

Dial thinks his son is in a dangerous area of Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park.  The area is so hazardous it’s off limits to tourists.

Roman Dial’s wife, Peggy says Cody left Anchorage in December, bound for Mexico and Central America.  She says her son is cautious and capable, and kept in touch with his parents through regular email and phone updates until the messages stopped coming in mid July.

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