Family got stranded on logging road after vandals cut the lock on the gate
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Talk about it! |
3:30 p.m.
December 8, 2006
GRANTS PASS, Ore. — A San Francisco man who got stranded with his family in the snowy wilderness had taken a wrong turn in the car down a logging road that is normally blocked by a gate, but vandals had cut the lock, authorities said Friday.
James Kim, 35, was found dead of exposure in a mountain creek Wednesday, two days after his wife and the couple’s two daughters were rescued from the car.
The gate had been locked for the winter Nov. 1, after the end of deer hunting season, so that “people don’t mistakenly go down that road,” said Patty Burel, spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Land Management.
Searchers looking for the family found the gate open, Burel said. An investigation is under way to find out who cut the lock.
The one-lane strip of pavement known as Bear Camp Road is often used in summer by Rogue River rafters and in winter by hunters, cross-country skiers and families cutting Christmas trees.
The Kims were returning to their San Francisco home after a Thanksgiving trip to Seattle when they ventured onto the road and into a confusing warren of logging routes.
They got stuck in the snow 15 miles past the gate and stayed with the car for a week, consuming only baby food, jelly and bottled water, and burning tires and wood to keep warm and to alert rescuers.
Kati Kim and her daughters, 4-year-old Penelope and 7-month-old Sabine, were spotted Monday from a search helicopter and were rescued in good condition after nine days in the cold.
Two days earlier, James Kim, an editor for a technology company, had struck out on foot to find help. He was found dead after he had walked 10 miles.
He had no way of knowing that the car was just a mile down a rugged road from a fishing lodge, closed for the winter but stocked with food.
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Autopsy shows missing San Francisco father died of hypothermia
December 7, 2006
3:30 p.m.
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. — Lost in the snowy wilderness and seeking help for his stranded family, James Kim probably traveled more than 10 miles on foot before he died, believing he could find a nearby town, authorities said Thursday.
An autopsy released Thursday showed that he died alone of hypothermia. His body was found in a creek’s shallow water, about a mile away from his family’s car.
“James Kim did nothing wrong. He was trying to save his family,” said Lt. Gregg Hastings of the Oregon State Police said a Thursday news conference. “He thought that if he could get to the river, he could make it to the town.”
Kim thought the nearby town of Galice was only 4 miles distant, although it was really 15 miles away, Hastings said.
After scouring the mountains of southern Oregon for days, a search helicopter hired by his family spotted Kim’s body midday Wednesday. He was found fully clothed on his back in Big Windy Creek near the Rogue River, authorities said.
Dr. James Olson, a deputy state medical examiner, conducted the autopsy Thursday morning and was unable to determine the exact time of death, Hastings said.
Kim’s wife, Kati, and two daughters were rescued Monday when they were spotted by a search helicopter as they were leaving the car to find help themselves. With only baby food and a few snacks in the car, Kati Kim had nursed her two daughters to keep them alive during the ordeal.
Kim, 35, was a senior editor for the technology media company CNET Networks Inc. He and his family had been missing since Nov. 25. They were heading home to San Francisco after a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest, and apparently got stuck in the snow after making a wrong turn.
Hastings said Kati told officers it snowed hard several days while the family was stuck, and the family heard helicopters at least twice.
“Kati and the kids are in good condition as it relates to the ordeal that they’ve been through,” he said.
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December 7, 2006
9:10 a.m.
MERLIN, Ore. — For days, James Kim’s family wondered what happened to him after he ventured into the wilderness, seeking help for his wife and two young daughters after the family became stranded in their car on a lonely mountain road.
On Thursday, they may receive some of the sad answers. Authorities planned to announce the results of an autopsy, a day after the discovery of Kim’s body a mile from the car.
A search helicopter hired by the Kim family spotted the body at midday Wednesday about a mile from where Kim set out two days after his wife and two daughters were rescued from the vehicle, stuck on a remote road.
Investigators believe he traveled about eight miles in total, and said there was no way he could have reached the car directly from where he was found.
Kim’s body was found at the foot of the Big Windy Creek drainage, a half-mile from the Rogue River, where ground crews and helicopters had been searching for days.
A tearful Josephine County Undersheriff Brian Anderson announced the discovery of the body, his voice breaking at one point.
“He was very motivated,” Anderson said. “We were having trouble in there. He traveled a long distance.”
He said he had few details about Kim’s condition or the immediate area where he was found.
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Cards and flowers are seen by Church street Apothecary as a remembrance to James Kim Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006, in San Francisco. Kim a man who struck out alone to find help for his family after their car got stuck on a snowy, remote road was found dead Wednesday, bringing an end to what authorities called an extraordinary effort to stay alive. San Francisco The Chronicle, Kurt Rogers The Associated Press |
Earlier in the day, searchers said they had uncovered clues that suggested Kim had shed clothing and arranged it to give searchers clues to his whereabouts. They had planned to drop rescue packages with clothing, emergency gear and provisions.
Kim, 35, was a senior editor for the technology media company CNET Networks Inc. He and his family had been missing since Nov. 25. They were heading home to San Francisco after a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest.
Kim’s wife, Kati, 30, and their daughters Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months, were rescued Monday as they were leaving their car to find help themelves. She told officers that the couple made a wrong turn and became stuck in the snow nearly two weeks before. They used their car heater until they ran out of gas, then burned tires to stay warm and attract attention. With only a few jars of baby food and limited supplies, Kati Kim nursed both children.
The key to finding them, police said, was a “ping” from one of the family’s cell phones that helped narrow down their location.
Roads in the area are often not plowed in the winter and can become impassable.
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http:jamesandkati.com
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Authorities say missing San Francisco man found dead
in the Oregon mountains
December 6, 2006
6:05 p.m.
MERLIN, Ore. — A San Francisco man who got stranded in the snowy wilderness with his family nearly two weeks ago was found dead Wednesday in a mountain creek, authorities said.
James Kim’s body was discovered about seven miles from his car in Oregon’s snowy Klamath Mountains, two days after his wife and two daughters were rescued from the vehicle, stuck on a remote road. Kim had set out on foot over the weekend to find help.
Kim’s body was at the foot of the Big Windy Creek drainage, a half-mile from the Rogue River, where ground crews and helicopters had been searching for days.
A tearful Undersheriff Brian Anderson announced the discovery of the body, his voice breaking at one point.
“He was very motivated,” Anderson said. “We were having trouble in there. He traveled a long distance.”
He said he had few details about Kim’s condition or the immediate area where he was found.
The body was to be taken to the town of Central Point for an examination.
Earlier in the day, searchers said they had uncovered clues that suggested Kim had shed clothing and arranged it to give searchers clues to his whereabouts. They had also made plans to drop rescue packages with clothing, emergency gear and provisions.
Kim, 35, was a senior editor for the technology media company CNET Networks Inc. He and his family had been missing since Nov. 25. They were heading home to San Francisco after a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest.
Kim’s wife, Kati, told officers that the couple made a wrong turn and became stuck in the snow. They used their car heater until they ran out of gas, then burned tires to stay warm and attract attention. With only a few jars of baby food and limited supplies, Kati Kim nursed her children.
Roads in the area are often not plowed in the winter and can become impassable.
On the Net: http:jamesandkati.com
1:10 pm.
MERLIN, Ore. — A San Francisco man who got stranded in the snowy wilderness with his family nearly two weeks ago was found dead Wednesday in a mountain creek, authorities said.
James Kim’s body was discovered in Oregon’s snowy Coast Range two days after his wife and two daughters were rescued from their car, stuck on a remote road. Kim had set out on foot over the weekend to find help for his family.
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This undated photo provided Oregon State Police shows Penelope, James and Sabine Kim, from left. Kim, who got stranded in the snowy wilderness with his family nearly two weeks ago, was found dead Wednesday Dec. 6, 2006 in a mountain creek, authorities said. Kim's body was discovered in Oregon's snowy Coast Range two days after his wife and two daughters were rescued from their car, stuck on a remote road. Oregon State Police | The Associated Press |
Ground crews and helicopters had been searching the area for Kim for days.
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A searcher is lowered on a line via helicopter into the Big Windy Creek area of Siskiyou National Forest near Galice, Ore., Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006, to assist with the search for James Kim. Kim, who became stranded in the southern Oregon mountains with his wife and two daughters, tried to walk out Dec. 2, 2006 and has been missing since. Kim's wife, Kati, and their two daughters, Penelope and Sabine, were rescued Monday. Oregon State Police | The Associated Press |
Kim, 35, was a senior editor for the technology media company CNET Networks Inc. He and his family had been missing since Nov. 25. They were heading home to San Francisco after a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest.
A pair of pants Kim had been wearing was found in the wilderness on Tuesday, raising fears that he had become delirious from the cold.
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December 4, 2006
MERLIN, Ore. — Searchers intensified their efforts Tuesday to find a 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, of San Francisco. 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,” Josephine County Undersheriff Brian Anderson told KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Nev., on Tuesday morning.
Search crews faced challenges, State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings said on CBS’ “The Early Show.”
“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,” Hastings said.
Kim, a senior editor for CNET Networks, 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.
Overnight temperatures in the region have been in the mid 20s to mid 30s. The National Weather Service predicted patchy fog in the valleys during the night with light wind.
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Kati Kim, right, talks to rescue personnel Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, after she and her two daughters, Sabine, 7 months, in yellow, and Penelope, 4, were rescued in the mountains of southwest Oregon about 35 miles west of Grants Pass, Ore. Her husband, James Kim, is still missing. Jim Krois | Grants Pass Daily Courier |
A helicopter crew spotted his wife, Kati Kim, 30, waving an umbrella Monday afternoon. She and her daughters Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months, were flown to a hospital in Grants Pass and were in good condition.
“We’re relieved and we had some moments of joy,” Kati Kim’s father, Dr. Phil Fleming, said on “The Early Show.” “At this time I can only think and worry about the safety of my son-in-law, and from all I’ve heard he just is a heroic father. All my thoughts are with him and with the teams and all the people out searching for him.”
The family said James Kim left the car stuck in the snow in southwestern Oregon at about 7:45 a.m. Saturday and walked back the way they had come to look for help, saying he would return by 1 p.m. if he found none.
His family said he had outdoor experience, and State Police Lt. Doug Ladd said there was “a very reasonable chance” that he is still alive. The San Francisco family reported that he had eaten berries in the area, but they weren’t sure if they were poisonous.
Before he left, the four huddled together as a family for warmth and ran the car at night until they ran out of gas. Officials said some of the tires were burned as signal fires in a vain attempt to attract attention. Kati Kim nursed both children while they were lost.
“They did a good job. They are in remarkable shape for spending nine days out in the wilderness in this type weather conditions,” Anderson said.
Searchers said the key to their discovery was a “ping” signal from the Kims’ cell phone, even though the remote region is generally out of cell phone range.
The family saw friends in Portland on Nov. 25 and then headed toward home after a Thanksgiving trip to the Pacific Northwest. They were last spotted at a restaurant that same day, then never arrived at a lodge where they had reservations.
Authorities combed highways and byways using snow machines and helicopters, and checked hotels and resorts along the south coast.
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.
As a senior editor for CNET in San Francisco, James Kim covers digital audio and co-hosts a weekly video podcast for the Crave gadgets blog on CNET.
The couple owns two boutiques in San Francisco — Doe, a clothing store on lower Haight Street, and the Church Street Apothecary in Noe Valley, which sells baby goods and skin care products.
Friends and co-workers in San Francisco celebrated the news of the rescue Monday.
“We are extremely relieved that they have found Kati and the kids,” said Sarah Cain, spokeswoman for CNET Networks Inc. “We are cautiously optimistic and hopeful that it will bring more good news about James and his family.”
Boutique employee Sarah Gion called Kati Kim “a fighter, especially where her two daughters were concerned.”
“If anyone could make it through nine days in the wilderness, it would be Kati,” Gion said. “We have good faith that they’ll find James, too. We’re all ecstatic, even though we’re still waiting.”
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Dec. 4, 2006 | 4:30 p.m.
GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Three members of a San Francisco family missing for more than a week were found alive Monday in a remote area or southern Oregon, police said. A search continued for the father.
Investigators said a helicopter spotted 30-year-old Kati Kim waving an umbrella about 1:45 p.m. They also said they found daughters Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months.
They were airlifted to a hospital. There was no immediate word on their condition, but Oregon State Police said early reports were encouraging.
Rescuers continued to look for Kati Kim’s husband, 35-year-old James Kim. He left on foot two days ago to seek help, police said.
The family saw friends in Portland on Nov. 25 and then headed toward home after a Thanksgiving trip to the Pacific Northwest. They were last spotted at a restaurant that same day. They had reservations at a lodge, but never arrived.
During the past several days, authorities combed highways and byways using snow machines and helicopters. They also tried to track the family by tracing their credit history and cell phone signals.
The mother was found near the Rogue River in the area of Bear Camp Viewpoint. Roads through the area often are used as shortcuts to Gold Beach on the south Oregon coast, but can be impassible in the winter.
