Bray once again...
I don't think anybody said James WASN'T at fault. Yeah he messed up and messed up real good. He paid for his mistake.
Now there are professional people that get paid for what they do...and yes they made some pretty startling mistakes as well - I think they should pay for their mistakes. One particular mistake - if accurate - if not had been made - they probably would have been found on Saturday - and we all be high-fiving everyone.
Typical Katrina way of looking at life. Being a native Oregonian I know that any time I am in the wilderness I am on my own and in his case his family depended on him.
Rather than blaming the SAR who risked their lives to save this family how bout looking at his main mistakes. He should have never left the freeway in a major winter storm. He may not have been able to cross hwy 42 in that storm which dropped 6' of snow in the Cascades so likely 1-3 feet in the Coast Range.
When he was stuck he should have stayed with the car and used it as a shelter. He could have built a lean-to shelter and most of all should have built a fire. With a fire he could have easily survived a week with any food at all.
Rather he made the fateful mistake of trying to walk out of a mountain range that is next to impossible to cross. If you do walk out always walk downhill and follow the river to safety. He walked a 16 mile circle on the logging roads.
When you are in the wilderness you better know some simple survival skills or you may not make it.
But none of that matters in a post Katrina world, its the gummit's fault.
Pray for W and Our Troops