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RIDGEFIELD, Conn. The search for Ridgefield man David Riek brought in his friends from up and down the eastern seaboard on Sunday.
Chris Gonzalez, who went to college with Riek, came from Long Island and said that Rieks friends from all over have come in to help in the search. One flew in from Atlanta, another drove from Virgina and others came in from Albany and Rochester. You expect it of your best friends, Gonzalez said. These are his best friends in the world.
Yesterday, the running community came out almost immediately to help search the trails and the roads, said James Mercante, a college friend of Riek, who spoke on behalf of the family. This is the kind of community that really comes together and will hopefully lead to a happy resolution in this.
But most of the people who have been helping in the day-long search have been from around Ridgefield. According to Fire Chief Heather Burford, the running community has especially come out to assist in the search.
The number of searchers has not yet been compiled, but numbers range from 200 to 600 volunteers. Many of which, have gone out on several searches. This is not including the emergency responders from Connecticut and New York state police and local responders. Burford said there are around 12 canine units and the state has sent the Urban Search and Response Team to assist.
Riek, a 44-year-old white man, was reported missing after not returning home after an early morning run Saturday. The search for Riek has expanded from ATVs along trails to a foot by foot search of trails, off trails and the roadways in a seven-and-a-half-mile radius of his house, Burford said.
This has been a difficult situation. Weve covered a lot of the town, were going into a lot of detail now, said First Selectman Rudy Marconi. Burford said that searchers on trails are going off trail into side areas and those on the roads are looking between 10 and 15 feet off the side of the road where it is difficult to see from the road.
There was nothing about his routine Saturday morning that would have indicated anything was wrong, said Ridgefield Police Capt. Tom Comstock. According to police, the family said that everything had been normal when Riek left for his run.
Police ask that anyone with information about Rieks whereabouts or any kind of information call the tip line at 203-431-2345.
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