Taiwan Ho! Forums

Following on from the other posts, this does seem like an intruiging story and worthy of a thread of its own.

A lot of teachers come to Taiwan, decide it's not for them and the simply disappear, without saying a word.

It seems Fred went to his Hess school once then vanished. But after this he called a friend in the States saying we he was off on a hiking trip. Somehow I find it unlikely that the school would let him take vacation so soon, so perhaps he just decided it wasn't for him.

The fact that Hess are advertising for information about him is odd though. The fact that NT$50,000 has been offered for information is even stranger. Is there something we are not being told?...

If you see this man, call AIT ((02) 2709-2000), claim the reward and post to tell us!

This is his website, but as it has a traffic allowance is often offline.

http://www.geocities.com/theezine/fredpics/tw.html

I think Fred did a runner, not just from the school, but probably from someone or something back home. We would do well to remember that at the root of it, Taiwan--and anyplace else for that matter that isn't home--is about escaping, getting away fom something or someone. But I'm just speculating here.

If the unthinkable didn't happen and Fred is still alive, as I surely hope he is, he's just laying low I bet, and is someplace else in Asia or who knows where. It sounds like a line from a movie, but if someone doesn't want to be found, is so far from home, and is a little bit resourceful, chances are you won't be able to find him.

As to who placed the reward, we can't be sure. If enough external pressure is placed on a school, especially one belonging to a big company like H, they might offer something as a good public relations move. However, he was only there for a couple of days, and given the volume they hire, H must have runners all the time. Perhaps the others just don't go missing like dear old Fred? But damn, if I vanished and my family only put up 50,000 NT$ for me, I would be insulted.

Hopefully Fred just set out for the Frontier like his name suggests, and he's sunning himself on some beach in Thailand or Vietnam having a right chuckle.

Get in!

If Fred had left Taiwan, R.O.C. immigration would have a record of it - unless he left on a fishing boat. So he is likely to still be around.

Here is a photo of Fred Frontier:



Alternative image URL: http://mywebpage.netscape.com/julianclegg/fred.gif

Anybody seen him?

Good point Juba. I hope AIT has checked with Immigration then. The fact that the authorities are able to trace purchase of a train ticket is quite intriguing though, isn't it? I wonder how they managed that? Perhaps Fred paid with a credit card.

I was thinking that if Fred hasn't gotten a new job someplace, or signed up for some Chinese classes, his 60-day visitor visa is about to expire, if it hasn't already. I hope that's the most trouble he'll be in.

Damn, with that thing dangling 'round his neck you should be able to spot him a mile away!

Shouldn't we put one of those "Have You Seen Me?" ads up on the front page along with the reward info? A Taiwan Ho! milk carton ad, if you will...

And what of his mother? I have information from sources in the recruiting biz that he was coming to Taiwan with his dear ol' Ma in tow. Any word on the bird?

No sign of Mum. I think that photo Juba posted will do as well, although if Mum does make anappeal perhaps we can add something to the front page.

Wasn't there another missing foreigner case a while ago? Was it a Kiwi? I can't remember if that ever got resolved either...

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. But then I thought that he is quite anonymous looking, as far as teacher types go in Taiwan, and could blend in as much as anybody, save for the dangly bit he's wearing.

I was wondering, does anybody know if his last name is pronounced "Fron-teer," as in Fredrick Jackson Turner's famous Frontier Thesis? Or is it more European or French in origin, like "Fron-ti-eh"? In case one of us does find him milling about on Xin Yi Rd someplace, it would be good for that person to say, "Eureka! I have found you, Fred ________."

Hope you're fine Fred. Juba, do you know him personally?

You know, the whole bounty hunter thing is really big in California right now after those guys caught that famous Max Factor heir/rapist down in Mexico.

I say, if you see Fred, take him down. Get yer boot on his neck and call for back-up. Once the Hess paddy wagon shows up you'll be collecting a cool 50,000 large and drinks are on you, my friend. It's Miller time!

They're still looking for Fred. This story was in the Taiwan News today.

NPA steps up search for missing U.S. citizen

Wow, I hadn't really been paying much attention to this, but I've been to Teinshien in Taroko...if he went west (god forbid to one of the destroyed highways) there's lots of places he could have....slipped.

There was a long article detailing the events of Fred's disappearance in today's Taipei Times. It seems there was a long gap between the time he went missing and the time they actually found out that he was last seen in Taroko Gorge. If there is something to be learnt from this sad story it is that if you go hiking alone always tell someone else where you are going and when you expect to be back.

Lost Frontier

(Cheers, Wix. You are the ever present media watcher. I've said what I think about Mr. Momphard's journalistic skills elsewhere in these forums. Out of respect for dear Fred I will keep them out of this thread. Seek and you shall find. Let's hope the same is true for Fred.)

But judging from his website, i think he might have just packed up and joined a monastary or summa

i did think so from the first time i heard the news. it is unlike fred to just disappear without telling his mom at least. i think he broke a foot or something and was eaten by wildlife. socialist countries do not build trails in national parks because they are for the wildlife!
of course there are vicious bandits too.

In light of recent speculation, it's looking less like Fred did a simple runner and more like he met with some unfortunate accident. In light of this, my own above post seems a little crass. I won't take it down for now, as it reflects the general thinking at the time it was posted and sort of documents how this story has developed. I will say, however, that I hope young Fred does turn up in a Buddhist monastery or beach somewhere, and offer my sincere condolences if it turns out that something worse has befallen Mr. Frontier.