A childhood friend of mine is missing since the tsunami struck on Monday. His name is Ben Abels. On Monday he was in Thailand, on Phi Phi island. His family is searching for him as of 10:55pm CST last night. The linked article contains detail about Ben and where he was last seen. If you’re in Thailand and have seen or have news of Ben, please, please try to contact his family. This page at CNN lists an email address for his brother in law: hgould1013@hotmail.com. This page at Beth Emet Synagogue lists a mailbox for leaving messages for the Abels family: +1 847-869-4230, extension 376.

Update 2005-01-05: Searching for Ben Abels