Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park

Looks like a classic situation developing in the Congaree Swamp: lost man, with 2 small children.

Tough terrain there, but at least the weather has been mild.

The article you linked says they have the NPS from Great Smokey NP helping:
This is good, since when searches get this big they can very quickly turn into a total clusterflock if not properly managed. The NPS along with NASAR has been in the forefront of developing methods for conducting and managing large ground searches.

Best hopes for a successful and happy ending to this search!

As a bit of follow up, and comparison with the incident hikermor posted in another thread, most "SAR" incidents are resolved fairly quickly. Nationwide, something greater than 90% of SAR incidents are handled in the first "operational period", in other words within the first day. Often these are more rescues rather than searches.

For example, a hiker is reported missing. A couple of hasty teams are sent up the most likely route. The hiker is found with an injured ankle and is brought down. Or, as in the example hikermor posted on another thread, someone reports an injured or trapped person. A medical and/or rescue team is dispatched to a known location, and deals with the incident. These kinds of things happen all the time. Often, they don't make the mainstream news at all, unless there is a fatality.

In a much smaller number of cases, the incident extends over several days, and may involve dozens, perhaps even hundreds of people, from multiple agencies and organizations. Typically (though not always), these are searches for missing people. When incidents grow this large and extend over many days, management of the operation becomes very complex. A poorly managed incident can lead a bad outcome for the missing person, and can unnecessarily endanger rescuers.

Years ago, after a number of very large, very badly run searches, with very bad outcomes, NASAR developed their MLPI course. This course teaches people how to organize and run large scale land search operations. More recently, other specialized courses for using the Incident Management System in large ground searches have been developed. The NPS has been one of the agencies heavily involved in developing these programs and getting their people trained up.

"Typically (though not always), these are searches for missing people. When incidents grow this large and extend over many days, management of the operation becomes very complex."

To put it mildly! Complexity, which usually involves media interest, is increased if the search subject is other than the usual young adult male, and the operations area is accessible to media crews. After about day four or five, alternative hypotheses rear their heads and you enter the "abducted by aliens" phase. In another day or two, you will begin to hear from psychics with their vision of events and circumstances. Sometimes these may be obvious scams, but often they are completely sincere. I was assigned to follow up with one such psychic on a prolonged, media heavy search. We traveled to the spot where we would located the subject in the psychics car, on the psychics gas, finding nothing (the area had been covered days before). We never reached a successful conclusion on this operation, and it still comes up occasionally.

Fortunately, most operations last less than 24 hours.....

+1

Quote from article: "Ballard said she received a text from Kimbler saying the three were lost.[snip] A cell phone is still inside the cab along with his cab logbook"

How was the text message sent?

Second cell phone? Did the kids have a Cell phone?

I'm getting way too suspicious in my old age. . .

Best to not jump to hasty conclusions based on what you read in the mainstream media. In SAR cases, the media gets things wrong at least as often as they get things right. (And that is being rather optimistic!)

One of the hallmarks of a well run search is that investigation by law enforcement begins immediatly and runs simultaneously with the field search. It is a very good bet that by now the authorities have determined if the text message came from the cell phone found in the cab, or from another phone (and if so which other phone). They will also be using whatever info can be extracted from the text ping to narrow down (or expand) the initial search area. The have also likely started to discreetly do background checks (criminal, financial, etc) on both the father and mother.

If this search is being run properly, and they are still treating it as a wilderness search (rather than a law enforcement problem), then we can assume they have at least some reason to do so. That's not to say that "something fishy" may not have occured, but it is way too early to jump to conclusions based on what little info has filtered through the press. The latest report I could find with google says they plan to continue ground searches tomorrow.

kids probably have a better phone than Dad.

If all you know about a SAR operation comes from the media, you are definitely under informed. The more complex the operation, the less you know.

To ramble on a bit more about searches, "fishy" and otherwise, consider the dilemma faced by the searchers in this case.

Suppose you suspect it is a planned disapearence, and the father and kids are not really lost in the woods? Do you then suspend the ground search early? If you are wrong, then two children and their father might die as a result. Not something I would want on my conscience.

On the the other hand, suppose you continue to assume they are just lost in the woods, and don't consider othe possibilities, such as foul play? Then the children might be in very grave danger of another sort, and the perpetrator has an ever growing head start to escape.

That is why, as I suggested up thread, a good search will pursue both possibilities simultaneously. You try to conduct the most thorough, systematic ground search you can do. At the same time, law enforcement is doing as thorough and systematic of an investigation as possible. And the search managers must always try to maintain an open mind to all possibilities. That seems to be what is happening in this case: Search on for father, 2 kids in SC national park

Things just got more complicated. Significant rain is coming through the area tonight through Wednesday. The Congaree is a big swamp that will flood in a heartbeat.

According to the NPS "J.R. Kimbler, his 6-year-old daughter, Jade, and 10-year-old son, Dakota, were not prepared to overnight in the woods, and they have no food water or rain gear."

Missing father, kids found safe in Congaree National Park Tuesday
So much for the "fishy" theories!

A great ending! Glad to see where are okay.

A few more details about the search and the lost father and kids are in this article: Happy end to massive search of Congaree National Park .


A good search management will try to combine local knowledge of the terrain, profiles of the subject, good organization and search technique, and as many resources as can be had. According to the article, when located, the father and kids were about 2½ miles from a visitors center. The terrain was very thick, with brush and lots of down trees, and a maze of small trails. Finding someone who is moving can be really difficult. As is typical in these cases, the search subjects hadn't gone all that far.

The article also says that Gurtler has participated in 11 previous searches this year. As noted up thread, the vast majority of searches are short affairs that are wrapped up in a few hours. Someone is reported missing, a couple of hasty teams walk the obvious routes, and quickly find the person. No big deal, and they rarely make the news. A few, like this one, get big and complex.

Sometimes it works the other way around...War Story Alert!

We responded one nice sunny day to a request for a search for a missing person. Before leaving base camp, the deputy in charge gathered us together (about 15-20 warm and willing bodies) and apologized in advance. This was just a search for show...A Border Patrol tracker has found the prints of the subject and followed him to the roadside, where he had gotten into a vehicle and left the area. The real effort was concentrating in downtown Tucson.

We were called out simply to fly the flag and make the overall operation look good. We were assured there was no chance of the victim being in the search area.

We all took this in, agreeing with the logic. It was a beautiful Arizona spring day (unlike what passes for spring in other parts of the country, like Alaska), so why not? We formed our teams, developed assignments, and set forth.

Twenty minutes later, we found our subject, about 300 yards distant from the spot where he allegedly hopped into a car....

It is not unknown that sometimes missions will be performed that are more for PR than any realistic expectation of finding the subject, a sure sign that the operation is nearing desperation....

Scenarios like this always run through my mind when I'm out with my kids. (And alone.) I don't want to end up being one these stories so try to be prepared and mitigate as much risk as I can without sucking the fun and adventure out of the the trip. So far so good, but it doesn't take much for things to go South. I'm glad this one turned out well. Kudos to the SAR team!

FWIW, most of the trails in our area were beaten up pretty badly this winter. There are trees down everywhere and lots of flooding to navigate around. In addition to a high risk of mechanical injury, it would be so easy to get turned around. Most signage is poor, with signs and blazes knocked down by the rough winter. It would be very easy to get lost if you don't stay on top of your navigation, even in a small park. As I said to bacpacboy after we came across another downed sign and blaze on a weekend hike, it's always smart to use a map and compass.

Map & Compass is always good but you need to continually update so you stay found. The vast majority will rely on signs, will get lost and then when they pull out the map & compass (if they have them), won't be able to locate themselves on the map. They'll be able to find North and that may help, but not always. At least they can stay lost in one direction.

A cheap GPS OTOH, can tell them exactly where the parking lot is located, IF they remembered to mark the car; a mapping GPS might actually show the parking lot. OTOOH, the folks who marked their car will probably forget to turn the GPS off, so when they really need it the batteries are already dead.

Face it, most folks with a decent plan either don't get lost or self-rescue. Most folks don't have a plan, or a map, or a compass, or spare batteries...

Sorry, taking small kids in the backcountry without a plan borders on child endangerment; I have no sympathy.

I agree with that wholeheartedly, Russ. Some adults need to learn the Cub Scout method for dealing with getting lost or separated: Hug a Tree and blow your whistle until found!

Its also good to learn how to use the coordinates from your GPS to find your precise location on your map. I think all three, map, compass & GPS, work great together; I don't see it as GPS or map & compass.

Yep, in areas with good terrain features you can sometimes get by with just the map IF you keep updating your location on the map as you go. The guy who "suddenly" discovers he's lost can really use a GPS to give him a starting point. Still, as you indicate, being able to take what's on your GPS and transfer that info to the map is a required skill.

Sorta off-topic: I started navigation with celestial and LORAN as my input. Later we used a Litton LTN-51 and later still LTN-72 inertial nav systems. A couple miles of error was no big deal; just get close enough so the TACAN can pick up a signal. GPS is so nice... but what to do when that CME bullet strikes and we lose all the great tech -- back to map & compass and the sun, moon & stars. That will not be a good day.

The irony is that the guy could have texted his coordinates to the wife or 911 and it would all have been wrapped up quickly.

I couldn't agree more!

It won't be a fabulous day, but folks will still be able to find their way home, if they are not hopelessly dependent upon electronics and are schooled in the fundamentals.

I have been using GPS since 1991 and it was truly a great leap forward, but I am glad I was grounded in traditional techniques. I began using a USGS quad map produced in the late 1930's by a team using pack mules, plane table, and alidade - real John Wesley Powell stuff. They showed the trail network very accurately, but the topography was a bit sketchy. I nominate aerial photography as the most important advance in mapping and navigation in the last century.

A GPS will show your location, and it may show your destination, but it won't necessarily show the obstacles and traps that lie between. For that, you need an accurate,detailed map, either paper or electronic.

Yeah, the GPS I use more than others is a Garmin Nuvi, not for the navigation so much as the ETA and traffic routing. I know point A and point B and the roads between, but traffic is fluid and a few times through Los Angeles taught me to believe the GPS when it comes to routing. On a busy I-5/I-405/I-10 day, the Nuvi routed me SE across LA on roads I'd've never chosen to pick up I-15 and all was good. Survival? Nope, convenience.

GPS nav has its negatives, one being folks becoming too reliant on the tech and not being able to function without it. I s'pose that's true of most tech...

As for hiking in the backcountry or large parks, the 10 Essentials are still essential.

Totally OT: I'll check next time I use the Nuvi, but at least some Garmin GPS receivers have a preferences option where you can specify highways, back roads, shorter time vs shorter distance, et al... It might be under tools, but if your unit only shows you the interstate, somewhere there's a file telling it to ignore back roads. Heck, my first Nuvi routed me off I-5 in Tacoma through city streets and back onto I-5 to avoid traffic. I was still in traffic but probably saved a bit of time.

A Nuvi is pretty good, but even better is a wife, especially if she is an LA area native. She does exactly what the Nuvi does - telling me where to go, sending me on many an obscure byways and shortcuts. Not only that, she cooks dinner (usually)and helps around the house. Can your Nuvi do that?

Are there blonde and brunette Nuvis?

LOL -- it won't cook dinner, but if I ignore "her" (female voice) recommendation she doesn't argue or complain, she just recomputes and alters her recommendation to accommodate my wishes. Too bad she doesn't cook or serve beer
Wow, serious thread drift .

Many ago sitting around a campfire men who navigated before map and compass were complaining about all these people who are hopelessly dependent upon their map and compass and wished they would learn the fundamentals.

It is interesting to learn about Polynesian navigation techniques. They found everything in the Pacific without either map or compass - using bird flight, wave patterns, reflections from land in the sky - basically just very good observation of the world around them. Maps and compasses are not infallible.

Hikermor,

To add a bit, the Polynesians did use maps:

http://www.jaimepappalardo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/image004.jpg

The one I have is similar.

I have to agree with Eugene, but I believe it is true, we should still learn navigation without map and compass as well. All three (just good observation and understanding, map and compass and GPS) should be understood by those going outdoors. Each step up provides increasing accuracy and information at the cost of depending on devices that can be lost.

In this vein, I have just seen books by Tristan Gooley http://www.naturalnavigator.com/books-and-library including The Natural Navigator. Anyone know anything about him or his books? Thanks!

Respectfully,

Jerry

Hikermor,

You should take a look at David Burch's books. His "Emergency Navigation" talks about many of these methods.

Anyone doing much sea kayaking (or use skiffs and other small craft) should also check out Burch's "Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation". He has a wonderful coverage of tides, which I have found extremely useful. He covers both traditional (chart, compass, and watch) methods, and also talks about using GPS. An awesome book, in my opinion.

A well thumbed copy of Emergency Navigation is on my bookshelf. It is a really fine piece of work.

Regarding native navigators, I have all the respect in the world for them but there is a frequently overlooked factor. Native navigation depends strongly on living in a given area for generations to develop a community database of local knowledge. Over many years, a native culture will start from home and trek outwards to increasing degrees, slowly building up a database that (combined with keen observation) works well for them. However that system gets derailed very quickly if the native navigator is plopped down in an area wholly unfamiliar to him, with no database and no "grandfather/teacher" community to start from.

The 'crazy white explorers' were many things but they brilliantly leveraged the technology to forge into, and back from, completely unknown areas thousands of miles from home in a timeframe unparalleled in history. The Polynesians covered a lot of distance but they couldn't pull it off in virgin territory anywhere near as fast as the English, even when you allow for the differences in transportation modes.

Previewing my post, I don't think I'm doing a good job of expressing this but it is well explained in Seidman's Essential Wilderness Navigator.



I have a good landnav library and am a complete nav geek who enjoys studying maps even of places I'll never get to visit. Yet I found Gooley's "Natural Navigator" to be horribly written. I'm sure the guy is amazingly capable and if I were in Britain I'd take one of his courses. But (IMO) that book was so poorly crafted that it may well be the one nav book in my library that I couldn't bring myself to finish. If you were my neighbor I'd just give the book to you for free... though once you read it you may charge me for the gift!

+1 on "Emergency Navigation", and I'm not even a sailor.

I can predict an interesting and robust discussion over who accomplished the best exploration - Euros vs the Polys, but my nomination for best all time navigation feat goes to.....
the Homo sapiens who found and settled Australia 40,000 years ago. Some" of the trip involved relatively "routine" island hopping, but I understand there were stretches of open water that had to be crossed. Considering the technology available and the time differential, I am impressed. They put the "sapiens" in Homo sapiens.

I would comment that local knowledge helps,and can be crucial, even when you have all the modern high tech goodies.

I would be willing to bet that those dauntless European navigators got some helpful information from the resident native navigators. I wouldn't disparage the feats of the Euros, by any means. The casualty rates on many of the voyages exceeded 50%. Magellan himself was a DNF.....


Has this thread drifted, or what? Who's in charge of navigation here?

Drifting are we? A good navigator must always allow for the effect of winds and tides!

Heaven knows we have plenty of wind....

Well I'd ded-reckon so!