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Captive killed in Ecuador Erickson says victim wasn�t one of its local employees By Melissa Martin One of the eight men being held captive in Ecuador has been found dead � the victim is an American but is not one of the four Erickson Air-Crane Inc. employees, an official of the Central Point company said. "Erickson expresses its sorrow to the family and friends of all the victims," company spokesman Dennis Hubbard wrote in a press release distributed Wednesday. "We urge the kidnappers to end this abduction and safely release the remaining seven captives immediately." No one from Erickson was available for comment Wednesday evening. The mother of one hostage expressed her sadness at the news. "It sounds like it�s getting serious," said Leona Derry, the mother of Steve Derry, one of three Gold Hill men being held. Derry, Jason Weber and Arnold Alford, all helicopter mechanics with Erickson Air-Crane, were among 10 foreign workers kidnapped Oct. 12 while working in the oil fields in Ecuador�s Amazon jungle. Two hostages, both French pilots, escaped to safety a week later. The kidnappers have reportedly demanded ransom payments from Erickson Air-Crane, a newspaper in Quito reported. And military groups in Ecuador have been searching the jungles for the hostage camp. "All we can do is keep hoping and praying they come home safe," said Diane Combs, a Gold Hill resident and friend of one of the hostages. Community members have waited patiently as information on the hostages� welfare and the status of negotiations trickles out. "We want the families and communities to know that Erickson management, both in South America and Oregon, work on this issue every day in cooperation with the affected companies, relevant agencies of the United States government and Ecuadorian authorities to bring about a peaceful resolution," Hubbard wrote. "We must, however, continue to recognize that the kidnappers control the clock, and only the kidnappers can bring about the peaceful resolution we seek. We renew our appeal to the kidnappers to end this abduction now by safely releasing the seven victims immediately." "Erickson acknowledges the concerns of the community that the �lack of information� about this situation brings about questions of whether enough is being done. We want to assure everyone that Erickson is doing everything it can to resolve this situation," Hubbard wrote. "Erickson believes that we would be ill-advised to comment on specific details of events and circumstances because it would compromise the safety of the captives or prolong the situation." Reach reporter Melissa Martin at 776-4497, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.