Posted on 12/10/2006 6:38:04 AM PST by surfer
For four days, as the snowbound Kim family's food supplies dwindled and they used up their gas running their stranded car's heater, no one even knew they were missing.
It was two more days before rescuers narrowed the search to roads leading across thousands of square miles of western Oregon, and another day before cell phone transmissions helped to pinpoint the search area.
While the speed of the investigation in some ways was remarkable -- given what little authorities started out with -- it was dogged by early missteps and obstacles that handicapped investigators.
A Portland hotel where the family had stayed refused to provide credit card records that might have indicated which way the Kims had gone. An early search by air and land of the treacherous mountain route that James and Kati Kim drove out of Grants Pass yielded nothing.
The owner of a lodge on the road where the Kims' car was stuck had told authorities three days before Kati Kim and her daughters were found that he had seen tire tracks in the snow, but he hadn't been able to follow them in his snowmobile once he hit bare ground. No one followed up.
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(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Please take the time and read the article in its entirety before posting a response. This article really opens your eyes.
What we all take away from this tragedy is very important. In the future what we have learned from this may save someone else.
I'll be pinging this today!
The most fundamental mistake the Kims made was not having taken seriously enough the dangers involved in driving through unfamiliar mountains in snowy weather after nightfall. They're lucky only James died.
It really shows that if your family member is the one at risk you can't just rely on the authorities to conduct the investigation. Without the involvement of private citizens it's likely the Kims still wouldn't be found.
The most fundamental mistake the Kim's made was relying on local LE to ensure their safety. The road they took was supposed to have been gated and locked. The lock was vandalized. If LE knew this - that is negligence period.
You cannot blame the Kim's for making mistakes based on bad information - it happens to all of us on a daily basis.
Thank God there are still good people in the world!
Of course they made an error but they weren't trying to take chances from other things I've read. They didn't plan on taking the road they ended up on. In fact that road was supposed to be blocked by a gate but vandals broke the lock and the gate was wide open so they probably didn't see the gate so it didn't look like a closed road. They thought they were on a well traveled road, or at least not on a closed road. It's easy to lay blame and pass judgement.
Very sad. Sounds like a close knit family who love one another. Thank God for the family and volunteers....without them they would have all died on that mountain.
Somebody help me out here: did Mr. Kim try to follow the road back out and lost his way, or did he try to hike cross-country?
It is a tragic story, and yet not uncommon. My brother died in a similar accident. Having lived in the eastern Sierras (at 8000') for a number of years, I have to say -- I never knew about WEATHER. Cold, snow, ice, wind -- they are all huge forces that city people are protected from and do not understand. I walked home one evening in a blizzard -- maybe 1/2 mile at the most -- and wondered if I would make it.
This is such a sad story and yet, within it, there are such great heroes. The man who was reminded of his own granddaughters/ the cell phone guy who insisted that someone listen / the searchers -- what great heroes.
That family should be very proud of their husband/ son, who made a superhuman effort to get help. My heart goes out to them.
He started back out the road, but eventually left it and followed a stream downhill.
And this is bad because....
Careful what you wish for. While the credit records may have helped here, there are plenty of good reasons why such documents should NOT be freely given to the government.
Makes me think that there should be a person who listens to every tip, every bit of input that comes in. The man from the lodge saw the prints and nobody listened. The misunderstanding that he had cleared the road.
Plus the cell phone records of piings would have been invaluable.
Plus when driving thru mountains, you ought to check in with somebody every day.
So sad,,he almost made it if he had stayed put.
I was struck by that too. I think those people out west have this kind of character,,an independent, taking action, doing the right thing and not waiting for someone to "help". It is admirable.
From what I have pieced together. James Kim and his wife made a plan. James was going to follow the road back out and look for Rogue River - he knew if he followed Rogue river he would run into a town. They had estimated it to be about 4.5 miles away.
So it might be assumed that James saw the creek area and thought either it was Rogue River or was going to lead to it. An old survival tatic used to be to follow rivers because they ultimately alway led to a town. There are many theories on this now.
I think you are splitting hairs.
The family was missing, LE was looking for them. A stand on principle was insane in this case.
Funny how the one thing you pick out is what you are most paranoid about.
You completely missed the real important facts in the article...
Read about the lodge owner - if that doesn't drive you through the roof nothing will.
I don't think the credit card records (except for credit card number) would have helped anyway.
I don't think anybody here is wishing for open access to our information - however I am sure the Kim family wishes they had provided it. It is all about the perspective that you have.
I wonder how this would help?
Yeah they used to call them cowboys! :) God Bless Them!
Quite true. But there are also some good reasons why such documents should be given to authorities, under certain conditions. One of those reasons would be to save the credit card owner's life.
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