Missing Since: 2006-09-01 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Drabik resided in Canada in 2006. He was last seen at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah. He planned to travel to Hawaii for two weeks’ vacation; he wanted to visit Molokai and climb the cliff there. He flew from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Salt Lake City and was scheduled to board a Delta flight to Honolulu, Hawaii from there. He was carrying a red backpack and two walking sticks at the airport. Authorities initially doubted Drabik made it to Hawaii, as he did not board his connecting flight. However, he is known to have purchased a ticket from Honolulu to Kauai, Hawaii on September 4, three days after he was seen in Utah. Drabik was a noted scientist and minor celebrity in his native Poland; his specialties included physiology, molecular biology and chemistry. He achieved two doctoral degrees and three master’s degrees from a Polish university and was also an author, champion athlete, and outdoor adventurer who had climbed Mount Everest. At the time of his disappearance, he was working as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute for Nanotechnology in Alberta. Drabik’s non-professional interests include mountaineering, trekking in remote areas, tae kwon do, yachting, skydiving, history, philosophy, astrobiology and meteorology. Drabik normally kept in close touch with his loved ones, but they have not heard from him since August 31, the day before he went missing. He has a young daughter by his ex-wife in Edmonton. Drabik’s credit card has not been used since he vanished. Authorities have searched in Hawaii on the supposition that Drabik had an accident while hiking there, but found no indication of his whereabouts. His disappearance remains unsolved. Utah police are investigating. Investigating Agency Salt Lake City Airport Police 801-575-2470 Source Information NamUs The Molokai Times The Deseret Morning News University of Alberta KSL-TV KPUA AM 670 The Salt Lake Tribune The Honolulu Advertiser CBC Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 28, 2007; details of disappearance updated.