I could see myself get into a macho trap if I was the lone male among one or more females. There would be pressure for the male to risk walking for help.

Doug, After we get more facts, will you do a comprehensive analytical article on this incident<

I do agree with your general comments about the limitations of hand held GPS units. I've hiked in this type of terrain and GPS coverage is certainly spotty. However, I would like to point out that typically you can find a hole in the tree cover and stand still and get a bearing.

Also, the new SiRF-III based units such as the Garmin 60CSx do much better in difficult cover.

That said, your point about cheap leveraged solutions reminded me that even a small, cheap compass can be a highly leveraged aid, even with gross level landmarks/maps. Especially when dealing with rugged terrain.

-john

Excellent comments and analysis. Most seem to agree that with better attention to problem avoidance in the first place, coupled with more equipment and supplies should a problem develop, the ending of this story would have been very different. However, I respect and understand Mr. Kim's decision in the end to try to hike out to save his family.

After one full week of waiting in the vehicle for rescue, it was probably reasonable from Kim's perspective to think that either any search had by then been called off, or that it was being conducted in the wrong area. Reasonable decisions made under stressful conditions in real time in the field with limited information at hand are not always the best decisions in 20-20 hindsight.

For Kim it was time for Plan B. I might have tried the same thing, the only difference being that I would have been better dressed and better equipped given where they were.

My condolences to Kim's family and friends. May his soul rest in peace.

As I recall the story about the plane crash in the Andes Mts., the people survived for a long time by eating their deceased companions. They were finally rescued when two of them walked off in search of help. If those two had stayed, they all would have died, as no one was looking for them. I have read other stories where the people lived only because they walked out. You must decide: stay with the vehicle or go.

I have to agree with you, his decisions both on the level of equipment he carried and how he reacted to the situation were about par. He did well to keep his family alive for a week or more before making the decision to go for help. His decisions were well with in the confines of reason (until hypothermia started to take him of course), and his family survived if he didn't.

People on this forum generally have a skewed way of looking at the situation. I know I do. My went on car trips similar to what was described in the article. The difference, and what has shaped my perspective, is that my dad had spent several years organizing summer field camps on the north slope of Alaska. In driving around Wyoming in a smaller car then Kim was driving he still made sure to carry a two person cowboy sleeping roll, a stove, food, and a variety of other things. I know now thats optimal, but not typical.

So, even though he died, I think Kim did fairly well for a typical level of preparation. Maybe it will spur a few people to a survival mindset. But that level of preparation will continue to be typical and result in amazing survival tales and tragic news stories.

• Searchers found more articles of clothing strewn about the ravine in a haphazard fashion
• Helicopter crew located human form face down
• Some reports indicate body in a creek
• Corpse identified as James Kim
• Medical examiner to perform post-mortem

It has to do with the thing about "when you start feeling warm, you're in trouble" rule with hypothermia and frost bite. Never heard the technical name, but it sounds like a scary, scary place.

I hadn't heard he was close to a camp. *shakes head* I kinda figured they'd find him within a few hundred yards of a main road or a building. Too often it is so close and so far to safety. That they held out as long as they did is a sign they did things right once they got stuck- he just had bad luck when he went to Plan B, and there is no other way to describe it that I can think of.

May his next life be a joyous one and as well lived as this one.

It's such a tragedy. He was a hero.
Quite a bit of this on the gadget forums and in the AP reports. Sad, no doubt, but the underlying message is that he was a man victimized by circumstance and the indifferent elements. Unfortunately, this whitewashes the serial obvious and not so obvious mistakes that led to his demise. It's probably unreasonable for people in shock and sorrow to think critically about Kim's actions, but, for most people following the story, the last thought about James Kim before closeting the story away will be "It could happen to anybody. *Shrug* Oh, well..."

What a fool! I knew it would turn out this way.
Blaming the "victim" is a common way to distance oneself from an uncomfortable situation. It also leads to the mindset "That could NEVER happen to me because...<fill in blank>". This is a more insidious response as it causes the unconsciously incompetent individual to not think about what they don't really know (about the incident or one's own limited skillset/preparation).

This was completely preventable! They should pass a law!
Already saw this one on CNET's talkback. The government should pass a law that allows SAR to immediately get records of cellphone pings. Other variations include "If only Josephine County officials had : sought volunteer searchers, dispatched helicopters earlier in the search, put gates and signs up on the road, etc." This response will get more vociferous in the days ahead as more details regarding the government and non-governmental role in the incident becomes apparent. It may not reach Katrina proportions, but a lot of people adopting this stance will get some comfort that they won't need to prepare because the government will take care of it.

I'm hopeful that investigators will release a detailed timeline of what happened to this family, so that we can learn from the death of James Kim. We can use this thread as a tool to teach preparedness mindset, skillset and kit to those that we care about. It should serve as a resource that comes up high when people Google "james.kim survival" and perhaps saves one family from another nightmare like this.

Until we have more information to analyze, I'd just offer that we reflect on the loss of this family and pray that the Lord will ease the anguish of the Kim and Fleming family and protect Kati, Penelope, and Sabine in the years ahead.

even though i knew his chances were slim, my stomach still dropped when i saw the news. i can't help it but my mind has been racing since i first heard they were missing and now i can't stop thinking about the scenario. i too would love to see Doug break it down and give some critical analysis. how effective would a well maintained signal fire have been in this situation? it looks like there are plenty of evergreen branches and damp underbrush to create plenty of smoke.