2007.10.03: October 3, 2007: Headlines: COS - Bolivia: Safety: National Park Service: National Park Service Personnel Assist With Search In Bolivia for Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Bolivia:
PCOL Exclusive: Missing PCV Walter Poirier III (Bolivia) :
Missing Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III: Newest Stories:
2007.10.06: October 6, 2007: Headlines: COS - Bolivia: Safety: Lowell Sun: New search for Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III :
2007.10.03: October 3, 2007: Headlines: COS - Bolivia: Safety: National Park Service: National Park Service Personnel Assist With Search In Bolivia for Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III
National Park Service Personnel Assist With Search In Bolivia for Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III
Rangers Ken Phillips and Bil Vandergraff, along with GIS specialist Steven Mietz, who planned the search efforts, worked with Peace Corps special agent Julie DeMello, State Department special agents, two FBI special agents and Bolivian National Police investigators. Six additional NPS search personnel assisting with the efforts in Bolivia, included Jack Hoeflich, Kevin Killian, Jeff Kracht, Lance Mattson, Donna Sisson and Todd Swain. They were assisted by four cadaver dog handlers along with their animals, who were also brought from the United States, as well as members of BERSA (Brigada de Rescate y Salvamento), the Bolivia National Police Rescue Team.
On a rainy afternoon in February, 2001, Walter Poirier left the small village of Coscapa (elevation 11,500 feet) on foot, following a community meeting and against the advice of local villagers, who later stated this was a very hard rainstorm. Walter was en route to a schoolhouse in the village of Liaullini (elevation 10,500 feet), where he had a sleeping bag stored. He was following a hydroelectric "aqueduct trail," which is bisected by drainages that would have experienced significant run-off at the time Walter was hiking this trail. The search area was established on the theory that Walter was swept off the aqueduct trail while attempting to traverse a water crossing during the first five kilometers of this trail and carried a significant distance down this steep terrain, which is covered with dense vegetation. The challenging topography of the area forced search personnel to rappel alongside waterfalls and cut their way through dense underbrush with machetes.
National Park Service Personnel Assist With Search In Bolivia for Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III
NPS Personnel Assist With Search In Bolivia
Caption: Bolivian BERSA team member Richard Mendoza coils a rope following a rappel in the search area. NPS photo.
Last month, a team of NPS personnel provided assistance to the Peace Corps Office of Inspector General with an organized search effort to locate the remains of volunteer Walter Poirier, who went missing in the Zongo River Valley of Bolivia in 2001.
Rangers Ken Phillips and Bil Vandergraff, along with GIS specialist Steven Mietz, who planned the search efforts, worked with Peace Corps special agent Julie DeMello, State Department special agents, two FBI special agents and Bolivian National Police investigators. Six additional NPS search personnel assisting with the efforts in Bolivia, included Jack Hoeflich, Kevin Killian, Jeff Kracht, Lance Mattson, Donna Sisson and Todd Swain. They were assisted by four cadaver dog handlers along with their animals, who were also brought from the United States, as well as members of BERSA (Brigada de Rescate y Salvamento), the Bolivia National Police Rescue Team.
Walter Poirier had been assigned by the Peace Corps to the Zongo Valley in late December 2000. The Zongo Valley is a large canyon located two hours outside of La Paz, Bolivia, on the other side of a 15,600-foot mountain pass. The area is anchored by the River Zongo, and the Bolivian Electric Authority (COBEE) operates numerous hydroelectric plants along its path. On March 4, 2001, Walter Poirier’s mother reported that her son had not been in contact with his family for several weeks. Mrs. Poirier’s last contact with her son occurred via electronic mail on January 31, 2001. Poirier is the only volunteer in the 45-year history of the Peace Corps who has gone missing and never been found, and his case has therefore remained a high priority for the agency.
On a rainy afternoon in February, 2001, Walter Poirier left the small village of Coscapa (elevation 11,500 feet) on foot, following a community meeting and against the advice of local villagers, who later stated this was a very hard rainstorm. Walter was en route to a schoolhouse in the village of Liaullini (elevation 10,500 feet), where he had a sleeping bag stored. He was following a hydroelectric "aqueduct trail," which is bisected by drainages that would have experienced significant run-off at the time Walter was hiking this trail.
The search area was established on the theory that Walter was swept off the aqueduct trail while attempting to traverse a water crossing during the first five kilometers of this trail and carried a significant distance down this steep terrain, which is covered with dense vegetation. The challenging topography of the area forced search personnel to rappel alongside waterfalls and cut their way through dense underbrush with machetes.
Following six days of extensive searching (from September 16th to the 21st) in “high probability” search segments, no associated clues were located. Searchers believe that Poirier’s remains are either buried under debris flows or have been washed out of the search area. Although unsuccessful in locating the remains of their son, this organized joint-agency search effort may provide the family with a better understanding of what may have happened to their son and a greater sense of closure in dealing with their loss.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: October, 2007; Peace Corps Bolivia; Directory of Bolivia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Bolivia RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Missing PCV Walter Poirier
When this story was posted in October 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation. |
| What is the greatest threat facing us now? "People will say it's terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing? I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there - ones that we can take advantage of?" Read more. |
| Paul Theroux: Peace Corps Writer Paul Theroux began by writing about the life he knew in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His first first three novels are set in Africa and two of his later novels recast his Peace Corps tour as fiction. Read about how Theroux involved himself with rebel politicians, was expelled from Malawi, and how the Peace Corps tried to ruin him financially in John Coyne's analysis and appreciation of one of the greatest American writers of his generation (who also happens to be an RPCV). |
| Dodd issues call for National Service Standing on the steps of the Nashua City Hall where JFK kicked off his campaign in 1960, Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd issued a call for National Service. "Like thousands of others, I heard President Kennedy's words and a short time later joined the Peace Corps." Dodd said his goal is to see 40 million people volunteering in some form or another by 2020. "We have an appetite for service. We like to be asked to roll up our sleeves and make a contribution," he said. "We haven't been asked in a long time." |
| Public diplomacy rests on sound public policy When President Kennedy spoke of "a long twilight struggle," and challenged the country to "ask not," he signaled that the Cold War was the challenge and framework defining US foreign policy. The current challenge is not a struggle against a totalitarian foe. It is not a battle against an enemy called "Islamofascism." From these false assumptions flow false choices, including the false choice between law enforcement and war. Instead, law enforcement and military force both must be essential instruments, along with diplomacy, including public diplomacy. But public diplomacy rests on policy, and to begin with, the policy must be sound. Read more. |
| Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania. |
| Peace Corps Funnies A PCV writing home? Our editor hard at work? Take a look at our Peace Corps Funnies and Peace Corps Cartoons and see why Peace Corps Volunteers say that sometimes a touch of levity can be one of the best ways of dealing with frustrations in the field. Read what RPCVs say about the lighter side of life in the Peace Corps and see why irreverent observations can often contain more than a grain of truth. We'll supply the photos. You supply the captions. |
| PCOL serves half million PCOL's readership for April exceeded 525,000 visitors - a 50% increase over last year. This year also saw the advent of a new web site: Peace Corps News that together with the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps serve 17,000 RPCVs, Staff, and Friends of the Peace Corps every day. Thanks for making PCOL your source of news for the Peace Corps community. Read more. |
| Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences . |
| He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: National Park Service
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Bolivia; Safety; Poirier
PCOL39275
94