SAN FRANCISCO: An American linguistics student traveling in northern Iraq didn't go on an ill-fated hiking trip because he had a cold - a twist of fate that prevented him from mistakenly wandering into Iran where his three friends were reportedly detained.

The Swiss Embassy in Teheran was working on Sunday to learn more about the Americans' fate through its contacts with the Iranian Foreign Ministry, spokeswoman Nadine Olivieri said. Switzerland represents US interests in Iran.

Shon Meckfessel sat out the hike because he had a cold, his grandmother, Irene Meckfessel, said from her home in Carmichael, California. He called her on Saturday from the American Embassy in Baghdad, she said.