CNET Editor's body found by Searchers (Update #941)

CNET TV ^ | 12-04-06 | From CNET TV

[sockmonkey]

Wife and two daughters of senior editor James Kim found in Oregon; search is still on for James Kim, who left the car on foot two days ago.

The wife and daughters of missing CNET senior editor James Kim have been found alive and airlifted to a local hospital, authorities announced at a press conference in Merlin, Ore., Monday afternoon.

James Kim left the car on snowshoes two days ago to seek help and has not been found, the official said. The search for him continues.

According to the official speaking at the news conference, the conditions of Kati, Penelope and Sabine are not yet known. More details are expected at a press conference at 5 p.m. PST, which CNET will stream live.

Kati Kim reportedly flagged down a helicopter rented by families of the missing persons.

After searches in Oregon's Curry and Douglas counties, new information on missing CNET senior editor James Kim and his family narrowed the search back to the Bear Camp area in Josephine County, according to reports Monday.

A cell phone tower received a signal from one of the family's cell phones at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday near Glendale, but officials say the signal is only an indicator the family could have been within 26 miles of Glendale at that time, according to a report in The Oregonian.

[publana]

Watching Greta rerun.... Oregon State Policeman says he was in heavy green jacket, levis and tennis shoes.

[publana]

Maybe tennis shoes in the snow shoes? God, please let it be so.

[SuziQ]

But they are either dumb or opportunistic.

Because they took a wrong turn? We did that recently due to a MapQuest Map that showed roads that are not even THERE, though we don't live in that town, so we had no way of knowing that. Thankfully, we were within cell phone reach of my sisters, one of whom came with her husband to meet us and lead us to the other sister's house.

Folks make mistakes. I'm not going to assign any nefarious motives or stupidity to the Kim family for this one, I just hope and pray that Mr. Kim is found alive after this harrowing ordeal.

[publana]

Also, what is a "drainage area"? The policeman said he took off into the drainage area. Planned to follow a river/creek/wash out thinking it would be quicker than the road?

You guys will call me stupid (and am), but I did this with my eldest son a few years ago. My watch slowed but was still running, unbeknownst to me. He and I went hiking up a mountain trail on an overcast summer day. My watch said it was 5 pm, but dusk was falling upon us. We had no flashlight and knew we still had a ways to go to get back to the car. We decided to follow the creek straight on down instead of the longer, easier trail route. It worked. We got to the car just as it grew dark.

[woodbutcher]

That is really bad bad bad.

Even if the snow is so cold that it is powder dry, tennis shoes offer no protection from the cold. No insulation, nothing.

That is a job for a pair of heavy duty insulated boots.

He can't last two days and tomorrow would be the third, dressed like that although he probably had on long johns of some sort.

Just the type of hat he chose could kill him, although most jackets like that will have a good hood.

But even with all of that, the feet would have killed him.

I have not heard how far the car was from the last road, house or whatever, but surely he should have had some idea whether that was 1 mile or 20 miles.

A person has to be a real athlete to make it 20 miles in deep snow in flat country. In the mountains, a whole different world.

By the way, I am not criticizing him. Put yourself in his place. You sat there for 8 days. By now you are convinced everyone is going to die. You are going to do something about it even if you die. At this point, you have decided there is no other way. You are not going to sit there and watch the baby die, then the other child, then your wife....

I am sure that drove him to the decision to try.

[jacquej]

Raygun, you lost me there, with the "depracating" comment, and the wandering into girls and chrysalis stuff

... but, don't worry about it. I can't figure out what you are talking about, so just consider me befuddled.

The last part of your post I do understand, and I have no idea whether he brought along a proper "car kit" or not. It did bother me that the poor mom had to nurse the 4 year old, which implies she had no food or water in the car...

Now, realize that I do live in a northern part of the country, and am not a city liberal.

Anyone who doesn't have an emergency bag in their car, containing the proper survival stuff, when traveling with an infant and a 4 year old, must be a candidate for the Darwin award. Given the educational level and sophistication of this couple, being that "dumb" doesn't cut it for me...

But, considering that they are from San Francisco, perhaps it never occurred to them that civilization just isn't everywhere there are "great views"?

I still hope the husband is found safe and healthy!.

[publana]

I'm not criticizing him at all, woodbutcher. I know exactly why he left. I don't think I would have been able to patiently wait in the car for 8 days as he did. I'm trying to comprehend why he left the road, grasping at straws for a solid reason. I'm hopeful that he tried to follow something that he thought would be quicker (and not just "out of his head") that failed and he has holed up in some sort of shelter because he couldn't make it back.

[tubebender]

Good Golly Miss Molly. What a world this would be if everyone were as smart as you.
And don't give me any crap about your old age. I turned 73 last May and have done quite well without your blather...

[woodbutcher]

Maybe tennis shoes in the snow shoes? God, please let it be so.

---

I think you are thinking of what city folks call snow shoes, a large pair of boots you put on over your shoes.

I am thinking snow shoes that allow one to walk on top of the snow.

If the snow shoes are boots, his feet will not freeze, but walking in powder dry snow will kill him from exhaustion unless he is really fit.

But going off the road in boots is really bad.

If he has the snow shoe that keeps him on top of the snow, walking will be easier but his feet will freeze.

So no matter how you cut it, two days is not good.

Following creeks is fine in the Appalachians. It does not work in the Rockies, nor would it work in the swamps of the deep south.

Even in the
Appalachians, it is a bad choice to leave the road. You were lucky.

Because that stream will always take you to a road, you follow the stream ONLY until you get to a road. Once you get on a road, you never ever get off of it.

That stream could have gone to the right or left of your road and brought you out miles away from your camp. Although it is common for roads to follow the stream bed in the mountains, it is not always so.

And just like this guy, once you leave the road, the searchers coming up the road to get you have no idea where you went.

NEVER leave the road. In the East or the West or the Swamps.

[raygun]

Well, I guess, its not all that mysterious why you're trying to comprehend what I said.

First of all I said it. Secondly, I made reference to "depracating" when I meant "deprecating", when in fact the matter revolved around "self-deprecating".

Its alright, though.

Do you think its o.k. to wish for hubby's best circumstances, and yet mutter expletives under your breath at how stupid he is? I do.

Let us consider in our hearts not our animosity, but our warmth towards our bretheren. Let us bring our animosity before the Lord and not let it muddle our own relations whilest we still draw breath.

[publana]

Candidate for the Darwin Award?? They missed their exit and took a shortcut the mother found on the map that went to their destination and told him to take. When the shortcut turned out to be an impassable road, they turned around. The weather became bad and they couldn't get out. They are not from this part of the country and didn't realize the danger they were in, I'm sure. Good grief! The fact they were able to survive as long as they have speaks volumes to me that they are intelligent people. The wife is currently facing the fact that she may not ever see her husband again and you're nominating them for a Darwin?

[woodbutcher]

I was not insinuating that you were criticizing him.

Accept my apologies if I sounded as though.

I was afraid that my comments might have been seen by some as critical and I was explaining myself.

OK?

[KneelBeforeZod]

"The area is the same one where six people spent 17 snowbound days in a motor home before being rescued in March. Eventually two of those stranded decided to hike out of the mountains for help, which led to the rescue of all six. "

Hmm. so... they wait 9 days to search this spot??

[paulat]

Hmm. so... they wait 9 days to search this spot??

...um...nimrod...read the thread before you post.

...especially about the cellphone triangulation....

It's not our job to get you up to speed....

[publana]

Not a problem at all. ;)

[KneelBeforeZod]

up to date? try reading the newest updates from less than an hour ago from their hometown, monkey

no one is here to update you either

[paulat]

no one is here to update you either

Yes, they are. There are many of us who have been updating each other from the beginning.

[jacquej]

I see no conflict/contradiction in hoping that the father makes it, safe and unfrostbitten, but also thinking how stupid it was to risk one's family this way.

It doesn't have to be an either-or situation, you know. Sometimes people do actually contribute to getting themselves into trouble by careless assumptions. We can feel badly about the predicaments they bring on themselves, but still take them to task for nt planing properly.

I think it better to honest about the mistakes people make, and call them on these, rather than to slather them with sympathy for making "categorical errors". That is what being a conservative means to me.

I do get the feeling that some who are taking issue with the way I see this sad disaster are very liberal in their thinking!

[publana]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/04/BAGR2MP9383.DTL

[geopyg]

I just saw on the news where a guy (young 30's???) got stuck in his jeep in the Olympic Mountains west of Seattle. They just found him and he spent 2 WEEKS by himself in his truck. He said the snow kept getting higher and higher and he would brush off the hood, roof and a space by the door so he could open it. It ended up being 7 feet deep! (Every day he would write a note good bye in fear of getting buried alive).

On day 7 he was about to give up. Then he found a little trickle of snow melt - wasn't clear if it was because of the car or just nearby. Anyway, after he found the water he was so upbeat he thought - I can just wait for spring now! (He had a sleeping bag, but they didn't mention any food).

However, Day 14 got to 10 below and he was again worried. That same day he heard a high-pitched engine - a snowmobile. After the rescue teams had given up his family hired a local snowmobile club to look for him.

Anyway - a calm head kept him sane and safe.