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HAZE Temp: 47 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend October 15, 2002 Hostages seek $15 million each Erickson employees file suit over their ordeal in Ecuador By GREG STILES Mail Tribune Three employees of Erickson Air-Crane say that if an Ecuadorean company had provided proper protection for their crew in October 2000, a 141-day ordeal in the Amazon jungle could have been avoided. The employees, who were among 10 men taken hostage by Colombian guerrillas while working near the Ecuador-Colombia border, filed suit Friday and appeared at a news conference Monday with their lawyer. Gold Hill residents Steven Derry, Arnold Alford and Jason Weber filed suit against Aeromaster Airways S.A. of Quito, Ecuador, in Multnomah County Circuit Court. They seek $15 million each in non-economic damages as well as unspecified medical expenses and lost wages. The Central Point helicopter company’s agreement with Aeromaster stated Oregon law would cover all aspects of its contract, including worker safety, Portland attorney Steve Piucci said Monday. "Essentially, Oregon law protects workers who are working for another employer, not their own, and we’re going to ensure that an Oregon court and an Oregon jury apply Oregon law which required Aeromaster to make the workplace safe," Piucci said. The Erickson workers, all helicopter pilots, said they were neither informed of the danger around them nor protected from possible attacks in the year the company did its oilfield work. "The gates were never closed," said Jason Weber. "I’d get up in the morning to run and the gates would be open. What it boiled down to was that you were in the middle of nowhere and there was no security. "There could have been something said to say, ‘You know what? In this neck of the woods, this is what happens.’ " The suit specifies non-economic damages for subjection to physical and emotional abuse, malnutrition and disease, extreme emotional distress including threats of murder and fear for the safety of a hostage killed during the ordeal. But the trio said no monetary gain could wipe away the indignities and misery they were put through during their ordeal from Oct. 12, 2000, until their release on March 1, 2001. "You can’t put a dollar value on anything, whenever you’ve got one of the nicest men that any of us have ever met (Ron Sanders) died," said Derry. "You’ve got Arnie sick out there and you’re not sure he’s going to come out. There’s nothing you can do to make it better. No, it’s not enough. It will never be enough, no matter what you do." Aeromaster has no U.S. office and no apparent agent in this country. Piucci said he expected two months to pass before Aeromaster would be served court papers. Although the suit has been in the works for about a year, it was filed last week to avoid a possible statue of limitations. Piucci said he was optimistic about collecting for his clients but wasn’t sure what insurance bond or policy Aeromaster might have had. "What I surmise, but have no proof of, is that they (Aeromaster) have insurance for kidnappings and they were told not to tell the guys," Piucci said. Piucci said he’s learned it’s a standard practice not to tell employees about insurance because the employees may be tortured and give up the information. "At that point, it makes negotiating harder," he said. After a reported ransom of $13 million was paid, the seven hostages, including the three Gold Hill men were released and flown home. Two hostages had escaped earlier. More than a year later, the ordeal intrudes on daily life. "Sometimes you can’t sleep," Derry said. "Everyone of us has our own little niches where it’s harder. One night you won’t be able to go to sleep, something will bring it back ,and you’ll just keep dwelling on it and dwelling on it. I get mad. I get angry. I get upset. You can’t get rid of it." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S