That's the point. He stayed with the car and family several days and finally decided to follow a map for what he thought was four miles to a town.
Usually you stay with the car, but after several days, he decided to walk for help. After all, they had kids with them.
There are questions if the GPS system and map were accurate. Some earlier reports said the GPS system and map showed a "good" road wrongly; now it comes out that they accidentally turned on a side road in the dark because a vandal opened the gate.
Unless you've been in rural roads in snow storms, you can't imagine how easy that is to do.
I don't think many men would have the stomach to stay and witness that, and I would certainly hope that a MAN would try and save his family, at the risk of sacrificing himself.
That is exactly what James Kim did.