Police Fear for Missing Aussie’s Safety
By Catherine Keogan, thebeachtimes.com
Guanacaste police fear for the safety of an Australian tourist who has
been missing from Tamarindo for about a week. Brendan Dobbins, aged 24,
was last seen walking alone along the Tamarindo Beach front, at about
7am last Friday. He has not been seen since.
Police from Fuerza Public units in Cartagena, Santa Cruz and Liberia
have been drafted in to search for the missing man. They are joined by
members of Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), the Red Cross,
Tamarindo lifeguards and residents, and Mr Dobbins’ friends. The search
has concentrated on the beachfront, the ocean and nearby hills
overlooking Tamarindo and Langosta.
Searchers used two boats, loaned to them from local businesses, to
search the ocean along the beachfront.
Late Thursday, Tamarindo’s chief police delegate, Benedicto Matarrita,
said the search would shift to nearby Playa Grande.
Mr Dobbins, from Glen Waverley, a suburb in the southern Australian city
of Melbourne, and who is in his final year of a construction management
course at RMIT University, was reported missing after he failed to meet
friends for a return journey to San Jose Friday morning.
“His friends became worried when he failed to return in time for a 10am
departure,” said Lilly Edgerton of the Canadian Embassy’s Public Affairs
Office. “They were all due to drive a rental car back to San José before
taking a flight to the United States.”
Canada is responsible for Australian consular affairs in Costa Rica. The
nearest Australian mission is Mexico City.
Mr Dobbins is on an exchange program at the University of Florida with
four other students from Melbourne. He left Australia just after
Christmas and was spending his spring break with the Australian group,
plus six Americans, in the Costa Rica. They landed in Costa Rica
February 26, arriving in Tamarindo Wednesday March 2.
Some of the group left Tamarindo to continue their travels in Costa
Rica. The remaining friends agreed to meet Friday morning for the drive
back to San Jose.
The missing man spent the night before his disappearance with his
friends, who left him around 4am. He was last seen around 7am in front
of the Babylon bar, walking toward the beach.
Police admit they are baffled by the man’s disappearance.
“We don’t have any leads and we have not found any signs of violence,”
said Officer Matarrita. “Tamarindo Police are mainly involved in the
search, whereas officers of the OIJ are the ones investigating any
possible crime.”
Officer Matarrita appealed to anyone who had seen Mr Dobbins around the
time of his disappearance to come forward. The information would be
treated as confidential.
“We find this highly irregular and unexplainable,” Mr Dobbins’ friends
said in a prepared statement. “It is definitely out of character for
Brendan. We are greatly concerned for his well-being and safe return.”
Imogen Wells, one of the group of friends due to leave with Mr Dobbins
last Friday, said there had been suggestions the missing man had gone in
search of a girl from San José, but that the girl has since been seen in
the area.
“We have gone over and over what might have happened, but just don’t
know,” said Ms Wells. “Bren could swim, but although he might have gone
into the water, he would not have gone swimming as such,” she said.
When Mr Dobbins failed to turn up at the appointed time Friday morning,
his friends began to conduct a search of the area, contacting local
police, hospitals and emergency services. About 24 hours later a missing
person’s report was filed with the OIJ, and international authorities
were contacted.
The group of students was staying at the hotel Portofino in Tamarindo,
where Mr. Dobbins left his travel documents, the bulk of his money and
his credit cards on the night of his disappearance.
He was last seen wearing a blue and pink striped polo shirt, dark green
khaki shorts, and black sandals.
Anyone who may have information regarding the missing man should contact
Tamarindo Police at 653-0283, Serge Clement of the Canadian Consulate at
392 1450, or the OIJ in Santa Cruz on 681-4062.
Send this Page To a Friend
|
|
