Wednesday, November 11, 2009

David Gimelfarb and Michael Dixon MY THOUGHTS

David Gimelfarb and Michael Dixon are both missing in Costa Rica. David’s been missing from the Rincon de la Vieja area since mid-August and Michael Dixon who was (supposedly) last seen with swim trunks and towel leaving his hotel in Tamarindo on October 19th and hasn't been seen since.

I’ve written about David Gimelfarb numerous times since he went missing and took some serious ‘HITS’ for my last post: David Gimelfarb- What's the STORY? It was not intended to be offensive, on the contrary, it was meant to raise questions, raise awareness about the situation and keep David in the forefront of people’s thoughts. I stand by the post but see why MANY people took offense.

That said, the Gimelfarb situation is still somewhat perplexing to me. It appears, or at least hoped; he’s roaming the area, somewhat living off the land but confused, possibly from some sort of head trauma. I can’t help wonder about David. It’s said this would “not fit his personality” from the people closest to him.

So I have a few ‘new’ questions.

*Was there any indication David was not happy with his life before he left for Costa Rica?

* Is David a survivoralist of some sort, is he even CAPABLE of ‘living off the land’ so to speak… and in Costa Rica where the terrain and rain forest etc can be unforgiving?

* Is there any reason David would want to fall off the grid?

* Same question, sort of, if David is ‘confused or frightened’ does he have the survival skills to stay 2-steps ahead of his rescuers indefinitely?

* Has some sort of amnesia been considered?

I BELIEVE some pieces are missing from the David Gimelfarb STORY, something just feels 'wrong' and I’m sorry, I can’t help it, I think he's dead, but of course I would love to be WRONG, but as one commenter pointed out about my opinions after my last ‘frustrated’ post about David:
“Boy, are you a narcissistic douchebag that believe the world revolves around you or what? Who gives a shit if you are "frustrated"- especially in light of the emotions his family and friends are feeling….”
So, I realize my ‘2-cents worth’ is exactly that.

And I SWEAR, I’m not being *glib* but if David Gimelfarb is in fact found ALIVE, it would be one hell of a ‘Movie of the Week’…… just sayin.

I fear the worst for Michael Dixon, the evidence, or lack thereof, seems to point to only ONE likely outcome- probably a causality of a riptide or some other type of bizarre swimming accident, but I wouldn’t necessarily rule-out a random act of violence yet either. If the latter, friends and family must have the HELP of local law enforcement, without them it will be near impossible to get answers. The family, along with help from the British government or any other outside influence, may have to apply serious PRESSURE to receive more than lip-service from local officials. Costa Rica is all about perception. They do not like their country coming across as having ‘any’ problems and will do or say just about anything to guard the ‘paradise’ perception. If you don’t live here you may not understand just how far Tioc’s are capable of sticking their heads in the SAND. *We got hate mail for this video about the driving conditions in Costa Rica because they thought if people really ‘knew’, they wouldn’t want to VISIT. Like a few bad roads would keep us from such a beautiful and diverse country.

I like what the folks at, ‘Help Find Michael Dixon’ are doing. I’m certain they ‘understand’ the reality of the situation, but nonetheless are leaving no stone unturned - getting the WORD out, keeping the WORD out, enlisting volunteers, raising money and awareness; and hopefully ‘applying’ pressure to local Costa Rican officials.

I hope both the David Gimelfarb family and the Michael Dixon family find the answers they deserve.

*Not really appropriate for an entire post at this time, but David's and Michael's stories should be a WAKE-UP call for people considering traveling to foreign countries alone. Not saying you shouldn't, just saying you need to be doubly AWARE of your surroundings at all times and have an understanding of the potential dangers.

For up-to-date INFO about David and Michael and how you can HELP, visit their FACEBOOK pages:
Help Find David Gimelfarb
Help Find Michael Dixon