Breaking News: Rescuers Find Missing Mom & 2 Kids, But Not Dad Who Went for Help

[Jessterw]

When I say they stayed put, I meant the family as a whole decided to stay where they were because they were worried about how much fuel they had left. Given the distance they were from the main road, I'm sure they had enough fuel to, at the very least, reach it - given they had enough to keep the heater in their vehicle running for awhile. Waiting it out near that road would have been far better than deciding to stick-it-out on what amounts to a service road.

[cjolley]

Ther road they took was supposed to locked by a gate in the winter.
A vandal cut the lock and opened the gate.

Doc echoed by thoughts exactly.
What did he think he was going to accomplish?

[Dr Mordrid]

Staying put saved the mother & kids lives and is what they should have done. Dad's motives were good, but his actions in leaving them misguided.

1. stay with your car/shelter. If you don't have a shelter, make one. Walking around burns calories/body fat you need for keeping warm & basic metabolism.

2. signals: SOS in found materials; rocks, logs, whatever. Got spare cloth? Put up a flag. Got spray paint? Paint a big arrow on the snow aimed at your location.

If you know how turn ignition coil/battery into a spark-gap r/f transmitter & SOS. It'll travel miles on many bands. Prepare a smoky signal fire from a spare tire, gas & conifer branches.

3. got string/wire/boxes? set snares/traps for rabbits, squirrels & muskrats. Got any rubber tubing/elastic? Make a slingshot for birds & small critters. Got stiff wire/thorns/pins and straws/tubing? Blowgun & darts.

and so on....

[Jessterw]

For a really clear look at craziness of what occurred, check out this diagramed map...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?o=0&f=/c/a/2006/12/07/MNGH6MR3191.DTL

The fact that they were less than or around 10 miles away from that main road and opted to stay put breaks my brain.

[Dr Mordrid]

4WD gives you better traction, but not if your vehicle is playing alligator (dragging its belly).

[Jon P. Inghram]

WHAT ground clearance?? I think these pseudo-RV's are a bad idea just because of the false sense of security they instill in the inexperienced.

Whata mean? I thought since 4-wheel drive lets you accelerate faster on snow and ice, it should let you stop and turn faster, right?

[Dr Mordrid]

@KRSESQ

WHAT ground clearance?? I think these pseudo-RV's are a bad idea just because of the false sense of security they instill in the inexperienced.

@Jessterw

Total lack of common sense indeed.

[Jessterw]

Wow indeed. While I definitely feel for their loss and the ordeal they went through, I'm amazed at the complete lack of common sense there.

Still, quite the saddening news.

[KRSESQ]

Sounds like they were somewhat over-confident in their vehicle.

edit If it was anything like the 9-5 SportCombi on Saab's website no wonder they ran into trouble. Check out that ground clearance!

Kevin

[Jon P. Inghram]

It started as a little mistake as the Kim family missed a freeway turnoff while driving home to San Francisco from a Thanksgiving vacation, then decided to take a one-lane road through snowy mountains rather than doubling back to the main highway.

After leaving the freeway, the Kims drove past a gas station, pizza parlor and coffee shop. On the way they passed at least three yellow signs warning that Bear Camp Road to Agnes and Gold Beach might be blocked by snowdrifts.

Driving higher through the snow in their all-wheel-drive silver Saab station wagon, the Kims came to a fork. A fourth yellow sign warned of snowdrifts blocking the way if they took the left fork to Gold Beach. They took the right fork, not knowing where it went.

Kati Kim told searchers they got stuck in snow once, managed to get turned around, then decided to stay put because they were low on gas.

http://www.katu.com/news/4851436.html

Wow...

[Dr Mordrid]

Sad indeed. Terrible in fact.

He violated rule #1 - in an emergency don't leave your shelter.

Start a signal fire, spell out S-O-S in footprints, rocks, boughs or logs....anything but leave your shelter.

Personally I'd have used the snow to build an igloo. Takes an hour or so, is warmed to above freezing from body heat alone, can withstand wicked storms & stop winds flat.

We used them a lot when far enough from hunting base camp that staying overnight was the safest option. Even have a folding snow block mold that fits in a backpack. Set its telescoping pole to the desired radius and it not only molds the blocks in place but aligns them.

IMO if you have snow enough to build one they're better than tents.

[agallag]

Damn, that sucks.

[Tjalfe]

[Helevitia]

James Kim found dead RIP

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,234880,00.html

[TnT]

Just heard on the local NPR station that the mom and kids were found by a text message sent to their phone on Sunday. The local cell phone company looked through their logs for the Kims' cell number and found a single message to them. They then were able to locate the sector that the car was eventually found.

As for the dad they found the outer layer of his pants along the Rouge River. Apparently one of the signs of hypothermia is a false sense of warmth and sufferers have a tendancy to remove clothes.