Winter Survival: C-NET's James Kim Found Dead

[ripcurlksm]

Summary:
What started out as a holiday trip, ends in disaster. James Kim along with his wife and two daughters (4 year old and 7-month old) were reported missing after leaving their familys house during Thanksgiving in Oregon to return to their homes in California. Their car broke down enroute on a deserted/snowed-in road. They stayed put for a week in the snow with their car, burning everything to keep warm. The children were able to be fed from the mothers breast milk. After about a week the father, James Kim, left his family to try and get help. Several days later the car was found with the wife and kids ok, but no word from the husband, James. There has been and ongoing search for his body the past few days and he was just found dead near a Big Wendy Creek drainage ditch.

The body of missing CNET editor James Kim has been located, authorities announced Wednesday.

Arrangements are being made to transport Kim to an undisclosed location, according to police. Kim had been missing in the remote southwestern Oregon wilderness for 11 days and was found at approximately noon Wednesday about half a mile from the Rogue River, authorities said. Kim, 35, left his family's stranded car Saturday morning searching for help and never returned.

"He was very motivated...he traveled a long way," Josephine County Undersheriff Brian Anderson said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

"They have been true champions throughout this whole ordeal," Anderson said. "We just want them to know our prayers have been with them from day one."

After being rescued in good condition Monday, Kim's 30-year-old wife, Kati, and daughters Penelope (4 years) and Sabine (7 months) have been reunited with family members. Kati Kim suffered frostbite on two toes, but will not lose those toes, according to a close family friend.

While stranded, the family stayed warm using the car heater, then burned tires when they ran out of gas, authorities said. Kati Kim also nursed the girls.

James Kim, Kati, Penelope and Sabine left their home in San Francisco two weeks ago on a Thanksgiving road trip to the Pacific Northwest. They had been last seen on the Saturday after the holiday in Portland and later at a Denny's restaurant in Roseburg, according to a San Francisco Police Department missing persons report.
in memorium

The family was expected to return to San Francisco on November 27. When both James and Kati failed to show up for appointments on November 28, co-workers began to worry for their safety. The Kims are known for keeping in touch daily with their friends and co-workers, either by phone or e-mail.

Throughout the Kims' ordeal, messages of support and concern have continued to pour in by the hundreds to CNET, as well as to a Web site set up by family and friends. The site was available only intermittedly following release of the news Wednesday.

James Kim was a senior editor covering digital audio who also co-hosted a weekly video podcast for the Crave gadgets blog. He had been writing a book on Microsoft's Zune MP3 player. Formerly, he was an on-air personality on the now-defunct cable television network TechTV.

Anderson said searchers were devastated at Wednesday's discovery. "I'm crushed," said the choked-up sheriff.

Upon hearing the news, CNET readers immediately began to post their condolences on message boards and via e-mails.

"My family and I will continue to pray for James' family...When I try to put myself in his shoes, I think James did what every parent would do for his family. James, God bless," one reader wrote.

Wrote another: "Please realize that there were so many people praying for his safe return...I'm sorry!"

A refocused full-scale search for James Kim involving helicopters, Sno-Cats, four-wheel-drive vehicles, river rafts and searchers on foot had been under way since Kim's wife and daughters were rescued Monday. Late afternoon on Tuesday, searchers found several items left by Kim, including a pair of pants and the remains of an Oregon map, and officials believed he may have left them as markers or indicators of his path.

On Wednesday morning, authorities, still expressing hope that Kim was alive, announced plans to drop care packages strategically along the route where Kim was believed to be. The bundles contained warm clothing and provisions, as well as a personal letter from Kim's family described as a "father's plea to his son" to let Kim know help was on the way.

http://news.com.com/James+Kim+found+deceased/2100-1028_3-6141498.html?tag=cnetfd.ld1

http://www.flashalert.net/news.html?id=1002


This is very sad news. If I were in his situation, I would have (wrongfully) gone to get help by the second or third day, especially with two children. I give him credit for staying put for a week. It seems like in hindsight that staying put was the best answer. What would you do? Does anyone have more info on this?

 

[Saiga39]

I read CNET all the time and have been following this for a few days now. Very sad.

From the news it appears that the snow had mostly melted. I would have stayed with the car rather than walk to nowhere. They turned off a main road so I would have gone back to the main road and hoped someone came along.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Hate to say it because the guy died, but this whole thing is a poster-perfect example of what not to do in bad winter weather...

-Taking a backroad

-Continuing on when weather is not only very bad, but rapidly getting worse

-Not having some means of communication

-Not telling someone at least a basic route of travel, especially given the weather

-Not staying with the vehicle which, at the very least, provided some kind of shelter. Desperation aside you are far better to stay than try to walk to help. If you don't know exactly where the closest assistance is, then sit your butt right there and tought it out. If a bunch of people in an organized search party with all kinds of vehicles and equipment are having trouble locating you, how much chance do you think you have on foot?

Brad

 

[kirkcdl]

Brad,he had a cell phone but that area is pretty remote in regards to cell towers.911 got a call from him at approximately 1:30 AM 2 days ago as he was walking out.By tracking which tower the call came through,searchers were able to focus on a specific area,which probably saved his family.The problem is that he had no idea where he was.I know that area well and it is very remote,not much traffic this time of year.For that matter,not much traffic even when the weather isn't a factor.

I've seen a lot of news items detailing survival gear you all should have in your car in this time of year,but one item I found out about that most so-called experts seem to leave out is a couple of heavy candles and a means to light them.If you're stuck in snow,meaning sub-freezing weather,a large votive-type candle will keep the average car interior at around 55-65 degrees.This is valuable in terms of warmth as well as a light source that searchers can see at night for a very long distance,especially in a wilderness area where light sources are pretty much non-existent.Just an extra bit of insurance those of you in snow country may benefit from someday.

Truly a sad occurrence,even a CB radio could have possibly helped...

 

[Brad Johnson]

I still can't figure out what the guy though he was accomplishing by going on a backroad in a snowstorm. That was mistake #2. Mistake #1 was putting his family in that situation in the first place. Again, sorry the guy died and I certainly feel for his family, but from all outward appearances it was a whole littany of poor decisions on his part that caused it. I hope they use it as an example of what not to do instead of trying to paint the guy as a hero. Maybe that will keep someone else from doing the same thing and sending their kids through life without a father.

Unfortunately, I have to admit my father would probably do the same stupid thing. He is forever taking "shortcuts" to make up for time/sheduling/conditions. The shortcuts usually end up with him with a map spread across the hood of the car and him looking around muttering "..this doesn't look right?!"

Brad

 

[ripcurlksm]

Is it possible that this situation worked out the only way possible, in that he sacraficed his life to save his family's by being able to establish a 911 call to locate his area? I dont want to sound morbid, obviously if he survived it would be the best case, but the phone call he made saved the lives of his family. If he had stayed is it safe to assume that there would have been 4 dead in that car?

 

[Maui19]

From the news it appears that the snow had mostly melted. I would have stayed with the car rather than walk to nowhere. They turned off a main road so I would have gone back to the main road and hoped someone came along.

Hindsight is 20/20.

I think he did pretty well given the circumstances. The family survived pretty well, although one of the girls may have to have a toe amputated. I think toward the end they were getting desperate. It's hard to know whether snow is going to continue to melt, or whether more snow and cold is on the way. In their position, after more than a week, I think you look at a break in the weather as an opportunity to get help. Details are sketchy, but it did appear that he left a trail for searchers to follow. It appears that he may have been able to get a weak cell signal after he left the car, which resulted in the searchers being able to find the car.

Sorry to see that it turned out this way.

 

[AndyC]

Ah, man - I was so hoping he'd make it. Damnit all...

 

[mattf7184]

There are reports that one map that he may have been using did not say that road was closed during winter.

Really sad story

 

[brokendreams]

As enthusiasts of a certain mindset, we fail to see what "average" people would do.

Point 1: He was probably scared to death after a week of not seeing anybody else. Not to mention he's got a wife and two young ones to worry about.

Point 2: The fact that almost NOBODY (outside of maybe 60 percent of the fine folks located at places like THR, TFL, SH, etc) actually prepares for survival in their vehicle. Nobody really thinks " Man, if i get stuck on a backroad in a blizzard, I'm screwed! Better keep the BOB and several blankets."

Example: A few years ago, a guy went camping in a really really remote campsite. It's state owned (California) but the ranger only stops by on mondays to clean up the campsite, and make sure nobody is stuck at the OHV park above the camp. The guy had tents, sleeping bags, and a small truck. Well, it rained. Really hard. It was also about 35 degrees, just above the freezing point. He had a small stove to cook his food. Well, he thought it would be a good idea to light a fire on the stove, put it in the truck, and stay warm like that. Well, the stove ate all the oxygen in the truck and he died in his sleep.


Point 3:: It does not mention whether Kim was a hunter, had ever experienced snowed-in conditions, or anything else. He was your normal, everyday average joe. He probably never even shopped at REI, let alone Sneakey Petes' Bait and Shootin'.

Point 4: He was grossly under-prepared, but never actually thought he would be. Eeven if he had heavy jackets and such, he probably left them with the little ones and the wife to keep them warm and safe, which is exactly what 90 percent of us would think to do.



Do we ALL need survival training? Yes. Do we all think that we'd be better off because of it? Yes. Does mother nature get the best of us at times? Yes.

I'm sorry for his family.

 

[ndh87]

Unfortunately the father died, while taking that road in those conditions was his main mistake, everything else he did worked out well for his family, unfortunately not for him though. I'd like to know why he didnt turn arround and go back to his family after he was able to get that one call out to 911.

Even before this incident i had started putting togeather a kit to keep in the car with some things that might come in handy. After hearing about this, i think i've got a few more items to add.

 

[Manedwolf]

Three words.

Personal. Locator. Beacon.

If you travel off the beaten track or just hike a lot, your life is worth the $450 to $700 those cost.

 

[lacoochee]

Everyone should have a small BOB in their car at all times, I have been thinking about buying a .22 pistol with a long barrel like the Ruger 10/45 or maybe a 10/22 in each of our bags along with 500 rounds of .22 ammunition as a minimum survival weapon. I live in Florida and we just don't have many places remote enough to worry about being to far from civilization but you never know when and where you might need to survive. I figure a .22 with a lot of ammunition will put meat in our bellies and provide a minimum amount of protection and that .22 is cheap enough a weapon that I wouldn't mind losing one if the car was broken into or the humidity got to it. My bags have emergency blankets, 3 days of potable water, freeze dried food and bullion cubes, as well as a good map of the state with good detail, rope, matches, candles, mosquito netting, etc..

 

[hso]

While a sad tail, it's beyond the scope of THR. I'm sure there will be some very good discussions on Equipped To Survive.