06 December, 2006
The Kim Tragedy
I was absolutely gutted to see that James Kim's body was found in the Big Windy Creek drainage this afternoon. I do not know the Kim family, but I was really hoping he would have made it back to the family, friends and co-workers who love him. When I saw how far he had hiked and how he had come back around along the drainage and died so very close to where his car was (he was just 1-1/2 miles below their stranded Saab), I felt sick.
Of course it's so easy to Monday Morning Quarterback, but this awful tragedy could so easily have been prevented. Having grown up in Oregon, I have traveled many of the routes through the coast range between the I-5 corridor and the coast. In fact, I think I know US 26 as well as I know my own body. I traveled that route from Seaside, OR back to Portland one night while it was snowing and vowed to never do that again. For the most part, the roads through the coast range are dark and winding and if you hit snow and don't beat a hasty retreat, you can easily find yourself stuck in a very cold, very damp, very dark place. (For that matter, I wouldn't touch any part of Southern Oregon between late October and, oh, maybe mid- to late April because it can be a nice, balmy 50 degrees today and be a blizzard/ice storm tonight.) If Only #1: if only the Kims had consulted someone at the restaurant in Roseburg, or asked the person at the inn in Gold Beach if there was a good, reasonably safe route. Most likely, a local would have directed them to the nearest Mariott and told them to get a good night's sleep and wait for daylight before cutting over to the coast.
It is unclear what map they consulted when, after missing their exit for Hwy 42, they ended up on Bear Camp Road. By the time it turned into a single-lane road and the snow got too bad, it was too late. Their mistake was compounded when they turned off onto a spur road, hoping to be able to turn around, but instead they were stuck. Over the next several days, they did the right things, by burning their tires for heat (and a hopeful signal to would-be rescuers), stomping out SOS in the snow, and by staying with their car. If Only #2: if only they had made a stop for more groceries. I won't even take a day trip around the Bay Area without plenty of water and snacks in the car. A bag of groceries stashed in the back of their wagon may have prevented If Only #3.
If Only James Kim had stayed with the family car. It's the first and most fundamental rule if you're stranded somewhere: You never leave your vehicle. It's a hell of a lot easier for a helicopter pilot to see a big car than it is to see a person.
But, oh...I so completely understand WHY he took off in search of help. For sure, I'm not the type of person who would willingly sit around hoping someone might find me, so I know I'd have a hard time resisting the temptation to look for someone, anyone who could rescue me and my family. But, having not eaten in days, he was nowhere near strong enough (physically and mentally) to undertake such a hike. That he got as far as he did is testimony to his sheer determination and, IMO, miraculous.
I don't mean for this post to be harshly critical of James and Kati Kim; rather, it should be a lesson for anyone traveling through unfamiliar territory. Be a chatty traveler: find out from locals what the best and safest routes are (either by talking to them or through online social networks...there's a group for every topic, after all). If you find you're stranded somewhere do not leave your vehicle unless it is unsafe to remain with it. To me, this all seems like common sense. But that's based on my experience, which is probably a lot different from their life experience. I know how treacherous the Coast Range can be this time of year: The Kims may not have had any experience with that kind of terrain. Going from I-5 to the Oregon Coast is a hell of a lot different than going from US 101 or I-280 to Santa Cruz. Even though both trips require traveling a winding, dark road, you're more likely to have a lot of traffic going through the Santa Cruz mountains at night than you are likely to encounter on any of the passes through the Oregon Coast Range.
Before I finish this, I want to commend the parents of James and Kati Kim, who hired their own helicopter crews to assist in the search. Rural Sherrifs' departments generally are not very wealthy enterprises. A search on the scale of the one for the Kims costs one hell of a lot of money. It is wonderful that they had the resources to pay for the additional search helicopters and it may have prevented an even greater tragedy.
Rest in Peace, James Kim. I am certain that your last thoughts were not of your own suffering, but of your deep love for your wife and children.
And may the family and friends of James Kim find peace in the memory of his kindness and love and his dogged determination to help his family.
~~ victoria on 6:50 PM ~~ 0 comments
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