Ecuador: Young tourist from U.S. still missing after vanishing three years ago

It is father’s day 2016. I am working in my library on another book and my wife is inside getting ready to take me to lunch with my grown children. But, I cannot help to think and feel today for the fathers who no longer have their children to hug, kiss, laugh with, and to experience the joys of being a father.

And, this must be a very hard father’s day for Christopher Reiger of Oklahoma. Mr. Reiger took his family for a vacation to Ecuador in 2013. His son August Reiger was a recent graduate from high school and was looking forward to attending college. The family on father’s day in 2013 took a hike together in Baños, Ecuador.  August decided to go ahead of the family and would meet up with them down the trail. August has not been seen by his family since that day in 2013.

Ecuador put into play significant resources into finding this missing young man. However, he has never been found. Of course there were always a few suspected sightings and many felt he had been kidnapped. However, there has never been a ransom demand. Many media outlets covered the disappearance on the outset and there was a Facebook page established “FIND AUGUST REIGER” which has not had a post on it since his birthday in November of 2015.

One thing is for sure father’s day must be particularly hard for Mr. Reiger and his family in not knowing August’s fate on father’s day, 2013. And another thing that is for sure, when I see my children today I will hold them tighter and closer and tell them I love them more than anything in the world.

Nicholas Crowder
AUTHOR –

NOTE: I phoned Mr. Reiger a few days ago to ask if there has been any new developments regarding August’s case. There was no answer. I left a message and told him I still thought of August even though I never met him. Being a father  it is impossible not to feel the hurt and pain and love he has for his missing son.