[James] Kim walked farther than first stated, official says

Associated Press ^ | 12/9/06 | Tim Fought

[furquhart]

The speculation is that Google Maps or Mapquest or something else, without regard to local conditions, generated a map which would do that.

As I understand it, that's part of how they eventually located the car.

[kenth]

"A list of stuff to carry in the trunk might have been useful for the sheriff to recommend for others in the future."

Yep. Some people just don't know how to survive in the wilderness. Sometimes it just doesn't matter, but you can increase your odds of surviving.

Not at all trying to make light conversation, but a while back on a popular leftist board we all know and loathe, the topic of surviving the Bush armageddon came up. One of the exalted survivalists had praise heaped on them because they knew how to cook on a propane grill at home. That was their extent of survivalism. They were not joking either, that really was roughing it to them.

[BruceysMom]

They passed four signs that told them that the road was impassible when there is snow. They kept going. If you trust computer generated maps more than signs put up by people that know the area, you end up in trouble. Local reports said that they burned the tires on their vehicle to attract attention, so they did start a fire. I fault the national media for not emphasizing how rugged the terrain is. There was no cell phone signal in the area. One of the local reports said that officials believe that no man had ever been where they found Mr. Kim. People die in that area at pretty frequent intervals. It's a scary road even in summer.

[Bernard Marx]

The speculation is that Google Maps or Mapquest or something else, without regard to local conditions, generated a map which would do that.

I wondered if it was something like that. Having been raised in mountainous country, I know that the most direct route can often be the most dangerous if weather is capricious. I wonder about the safety of naive urban folks who slavishly follow their on-board GPS systems in unfamiliar mountain or desert terrain. Weather, both cold and hot, can be mighty unforgiving to stranded travelers.

[PeteB570]

A small, well packed gym bag of basic survival items in the back of the car could have kept the whole family alive for 2 weeks. They might have been uncomfortable, cold and hungry but they all would be alive.

The snow was melting by the time they were found. If they had saved the gas and tires they could have saved themselves by driving out.

My kids were all taught to build a fire with a knife, metal match and material from the surrounding area by the time they were about 9.

It is funny to see a tenderfoot try and build a fire the first few time.

[xarmydog]

His death is a perfect example of the extent a man would go through to save his family.I am certain he knew the consequences should he fail.I think of him in heroic terms.God bless him and his family,and the people who never gave up against all odds.

[saquin]

They passed four signs that told them that the road was impassible when there is snow. They kept going.

From what I read, when they started seeing signs to that effect, they decided to turn around and go back to the interstate. The road was too narrow at that point to turn around so Kim backed up for a while until he saw a road turnoff (this was the spur road that is usually locked by a gate in the winter) and took that, probably thinking it would loop him back to the road or that he'd find a place to turn around. They got stuck in the snow on that road.

[saquin]

I've been following this story from the beginning and have yet to hear why they got off the I-5 to begin with, especially in snowy weather. I saw one story that said they were supposed to stay in Gold Beach the first night. Were they trying to take a shortcut over the mountains instead of taking route 42 and following the coast?

From what I read, they family intended to take I-5 to Highway 42 to Gold Beach. They missed the exit for 42 and instead of doubling back to it, they looked at a map and saw Bear Camp Road which looked like a good direct route to the coast so decided to take that. Apparently, on the map it looked like a regular road and they didn't realize the danger in winter.

[patton]

Funny - they taught us some of those thing in arctic survival school...

Prayers for the Kim family.

[Rte66]

Here are some other threads where we've been discussing this story at length and swapping snow survival tips:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1751267/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1749424/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1748417/posts

[pandoraou812]

Its good you taught your children those things. My dad taught me how to change a tire before I could get my permit. He also made sure we knew what to do out on the water as we live in a boating area. I was always told to keep a small mirror when I was hiking or boating to flash for help. A cd works too. Or a car mirror. He also made sure we carried compasses. This is such a sad story but maybe with all the attention this story has gotten people will realize they need to be more aware of where they are going and to keep supplies in their cars. Prayers for the Kim family.

[BruceysMom]

What you read is wrong. The first two signs are on the interstate.

[visualops]

Late to the thread, but I don't think the point is to act as if he didn't make a mistake. The point is to acknowledge the monumental, if futile, effort the man made out of love for his family. 16 miles in mostly freezing temperatures (in tennis shoes!) is a tremendous effort. God rest his soul.

[Guenevere]

well said