Dad Still Lost As Missing Family Found Alive ( Latest on CNET Editor )

The Associated Press ^ | December 5, 2006

[george76]

Searchers intensified their efforts Tuesday to find a San Francisco man missing for more than a week in a rugged, remote area of the snow-covered Oregon Coast Range as his wife and two young children, rescued just the day before, recovered in a hospital.

Trained dogs, horse patrols and a helicopter with heat-sensitive sensors were sent to join other helicopters, snowmobiles and foot patrols Tuesday for 35-year-old James Kim.

Trackers had followed his footprints until dark Monday night.

"They determined that he went over the side of the road into the Big Windy Creek drainage area and that's when the two deputies from Jackson County went over the edge and they are tracking his footprints right now," ...Tuesday morning.

"There are some cliffs they may have to go down to get down to the creek.

And there's still snow and ice, cold temperature, but they've been out all night and they plan to be out all day. And their hope is to find him today," ...

Kim...had left his wife and two young children in their frozen, snowbound car and set off into the wilderness to seek help, wearing only tennis shoes, a sweater and a jacket.

State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings said Kati Kim told a detective the family intended to take Oregon 42, the usual route from Interstate 5 to the south Oregon coast, but they missed the turnoff, found Bear Camp Road on the map and decided to take it instead of turning back.

Their car was 15 miles from Bear Camp Road when found.

The complicated network of roads in the area is commonly used by whitewater rafters on the Rogue River or as shortcuts to Gold Beach in the summer, but the roads are not plowed in winter and can be impassable.

[george76]

Thanks.

Sad news.

Prayers for the family.

[CertainInalienableRights]

I have sometimes wondered if it would be possible to carry enough spare parts to prevent the possibility of such breakdowns. Perhaps someone could create a special vehicle with two engines

Certainly it would be possible to build greater redundancy into vehicles. Much could be accomplished with higher-quality materials and engineering, but even beyond that adding redundant systems would definitely be doable in a lot of areas.

Three problems would be cost, and weight, and space. Cost isn't necessarily an issue. Plenty of people are willing to pay a premium for vehicles going well beyond the minimum necessary features. Weight and space would be less of an issue without CAFE standards to meet.

I suspect that the most likely vehicle in which redundant systems could be designed into would be something large, like a SUV or Hummer.