November 29, 2004

Cornell Grad Missing

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The Nicaraguan army continues to search for Jordan Ressler ’03. The 23-year-old San Diego native set out with Nicholas Roth, 28, of Britain, on Nov. 15 to climb the Maderas volcano, 60 miles southeast of Managua and disappeared.

More than 40 rescue workers have been looking for them since Nov. 20 when a local inn keeper alerted authorities of their disappearance. One of the search and rescue units found the remnants of a campsite on the volcano they believe was used by the pair.

Ressler’s parents, Vivien and Jeffrey, have flown to Nicaragua to aid in the search.

“It is exceptionally worrying but we are trying to be positive. His friends tell us that if anyone can get out of a problem it’s Nick, and the more I hear that the more positive I become,” Roth’s mother, Suzanne, told the Times of London.

“We have been told the most likely scenario is that they got lost in the bad weather and became disorientated and cannot find their way back. Nothing more sinister than that,” added Roth’s brother, Nigel. There was a report of a sighting of the two on Friday, but that report turned out to be misinformed, according to Nicaraguan officials. “A version of events that came up Friday that the tourists had been seen … turned out to be false,” Army Colonel Adolfo Zepeda told the Associated Press.

A film studies major at Cornell, Ressler was an aspiring screen writer.

“He was just a very pleasant guy, and bright … and determined to get to Hollywood one way or another,” said Prof. Don Fredericksen, film studies, Ressler’s academic advisor.

Archived article by Freda Ready
Sun Managing Editor