Sheriff’s officials in Hennepin County confirmed that his car was recovered from under the debris of the crumpled bridge Monday morning, but divers did not find any evidence of a body. Officials say those who fell into the river may have been washed downstream or are trapped in the rubble.

Family members said Hausmann should have been celebrating because he had just learned that the Kenyan government had ordered a new investigation into the shooting death of his friend, Rev. John Kaiser, in 2000.

Kaiser was a 67-year-old Catholic priest from Minnesota who had been in Kenya for 35 years. Hausmann, a native of Bonesteel, South Dakota, also served as a missionary in Kenya. His brother, Rev. Leo Hausmann, is a priest at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Wall, South Dakota.

In a report by Annie Baxter, Minnesota Public Radio,(www.minnesota.publicradio.org) the broadcaster says that Hausmann was a computer security specialist who worked at Assurity River Group in St. Paul. The company's president says Hausmann was "a quiet leader and a man of faith."

Baxter reported: "There's one in every office. The guy who's the diligent worker, nose to the grindstone. The one who mentors colleagues and whom everyone trusts. And the guy who's the first to make the coffee every morning.

"That was Peter Hausmann, according to his boss, Jeff Olejnik at Assurity River Group," Baxter said.

Baxter said Olejnik chuckles as he recalls the company's recent move into a new office. He notes that Hausmann took pains to assure a "seamless" transition on the coffee front.

"One of the things that was very high on the priority list was to get the coffee machine in and running as fast as possible," says Olejnik. "Pete was very happy when we got that installed. He was the number one person who was going to be using it."

Olejnik says Hausmann often logged long hours at the company's small office of eight employees, sticking around until 6 or 7 p.m. Hausmann was, Olejnik says, a quiet leader, a devoted Catholic, and a man capable of explaining the most confounding aspects of information security.

"A couple words I keep hearing from our clients as they talk about Peter is how patient he was with them explaining some very technical concepts, and making sure he had a tremendous bedside manner," says Olejnik.

Hausmann lived in Rosemount, Minnesota, hailing originally from South Dakota. He spent time in Kenya, where, Olejnik says, he worked as a math and science teacher. Kenya is also where Hausmann met his wife, Helen.

The family has declined requests for interviews. They told a newspaper last week that the night of the bridge collapse, Hausmann was heading to St. Louis Park to pick up a friend for dinner when the bridge gave way.

He reportedly phoned his wife during rush hour traffic on the bridge and was not heard from again. His car has since been pulled from the Mississippi River.

Jeff Olejnik says Hausmann's disappearance has meant a horrible heartache for all those who knew him. Olejnik said he would hold an all-staff meeting at Assurity River Group.

"We're going to be talking about the projects and the things Peter has been working on, and how we are going to continue his workload," says Olejnik. "It will be very difficult, but eventually we will be cleaning up his workspace and sorting through it."

When that difficult time comes, Olejink says, they'll give the Hausmann family any of Peter's personal effects, including the cluster of coffee mugs sitting empty at his desk.

The online newspaper www.ArgusLeader.com in, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, reported under the headlines: "Missing South Dakota native's car is found near bridge collapse; Divers search the car, but they don't find his body," that sheriff's officials confirmed the vehicle South Dakota native Peter Hausmann was driving as he neared the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis just before it collapsed Wednesday has been found.

The car was recovered from under the debris of the crumpled Interstate 35W bridge, Hennepin County sheriff's officials said.

Divers searched the vehicle while it was still in the Mississippi River, but did not find any evidence of a body, officials said. Divers then brought the vehicle onto a barge where they searched it again, but still found no evidence of a body.

"We just found out last night," said Father Leo Hausmann, Peter's Brother. "It was about 8 p.m. The sheriff's office just told us that they found it, but he was not with the vehicle."

Peter Hausmann's daughter, Justina Hausmann, said her mother, Helen Hausmann, was informed by police that they had located the vehicle, but that her father is still listed by Hennepin County and Minneapolis authorities as one of the eight people missing after the bridge fell into the river during rush-hour traffic.

Divers continued to search unsuccessfully for other missing people, according to Police Lt. Amelia Huffman, information officer for the Minneapolis Police Department.

Hausmann was last heard from when he was talking on his cell phone with his wife just before news of the collapse broke, when his phone went quiet. During that conversation he told her that traffic had almost ground to a halt as he was trying to make his way home.

Hausmann was near the Interstate 35W bridge at the time of the collapse, but has not been seen since the catastrophe.

Hausmann, who grew up in Bonesteel, South Dakota, left his job in the Minneapolis suburb of New Brighton shortly after 5:30 p.m., said Jeff Olejnik, president of Assurity River Group, where he worked.

"From what I understand, he was on his way to pick up a dinner guest from Kenya they planned to have over," Olejnik said. "Peter spent two or three years in Kenya on a mission trip."

Hausmann met his wife, Helen, on one of those mission trips, Olejnik said.

Around 6 p.m., Hausmann was talking with his wife on his cell phone and mentioned to her that traffic was almost stopped.

"I don't know if the phone went dead or if she couldn't hear or what, but there was a bunch of static or something and I guess the phone went dead," his brother, Jim Hausmann, told the newspaper.

The bridge collapsed around that time, at 6:05 p.m.

"I don't know what his exact location was, if he was on the bridge or what," Jim Hausmann said. "We assume he was."

Another of Hausmann's brothers, Father Leo Hausmann, said when he never showed up at home and relatives could not contact him by cell phone, "we presumed that he was one of the victims."

Earlier, Father Hausmann, who is a priest at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Wall, South Dakota, said: "The only thing they're telling us is that they have not located him or his vehicle and that they may not find him for awhile."

Hausmann worked in computer security at Assurity. He had more than 20 years of experience in the field, and has worked with many financial institutions to develop their information security programs, according to the firm's Web site.

"We sent out a letter to some of our clients this morning," Olejnik said. "It's amazing how many people he's touched. He's a real role model."

One moment, South Dakota native Peter Hausmann was on his cell phone, telling his wife that traffic in downtown Minneapolis had almost ground to a halt. Then his cell phone went quiet, and Hausmann never made it home.

Hausmann was among the missing after the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed during the August 1 rush hour.

To find vehicles that plunged into the Mississippi River, divers felt their way through murky water, pressing within inches of submerged cars to read their license plates. The current pushed them around, and over their heads, pieces of steel hung precariously from the wreckage.

Hausmann and his wife Helen have four children together.

Relatives said Helen Hausmann was at the site during the day, as divers continued the slow search for vehicles and victims. With only about 6 inches of visibility, the divers wore plastic gloves and used what Hennepin County Sheriff's Capt. Bill Chandler called the "Braille method."

"They've got to feel their way around with the car right in front of their face and call out the license plate," he said.

When it came to going through the vehicle, he said, "It's actually easier with your eyes closed."

His family says they should have been celebrating: Hausmann had just learned that the Kenyan government has ordered a new investigation into the 2000 shooting death of his friend, the Rev. John Kaiser.

Kaiser was a 67-year-old native of Perham, Minnesota, who had been in Kenya for 35 years who died under mysterious circumstances.

Local nun reaches out to bridge collapse victims

Sister Rosalind Gefre comforted victims' relatives.

Meanwhile, a local nun has been helping victims and their families cope with the tragedy, according to local Minneapolis TV station KSTP (www.kstp.com).

"Sister Rosalind Gefre is no stranger to Saint Paul

Saints baseball fans, but this past week she has offered her support those suffering though a loss of a loved one," the TV station said in an online report.

Gefre runs Sister Rosalind's Schools of Massage based on Christian principles which her website (www.sisterrosalind.org)  says "seek to work in harmony with God's plan for spiritual, psychological and physiological well being."

The website states: "Our mission is to promote the healing of the body, mind and spirit through touch, following Jesus' example. We are committed to providing quality training for students to become highly-competent massage therapists."

The 77-year-old nun met with families and even gave her rosary to Lisa Jolstad, the wife of the only construction worker still missing. Jolstad said Sister Rosalind's presence helped ease her pain. She also gave neck and backrubs to relieve the tension victims' relatives have been feeling surrounding the trauma.

"Boy, she held me and it felt so good. It did. It felt so good," Jolstad said.

Sister Rosalind was glad to be able to help those suffering. "For me it was a tremendous gratitude that I went and did what I did out there," Sister Rosalind said.

See video of Sister Rosalind at: http://kstp.com/article/stories/S162662.shtml?cat=118

** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.