Yes, it is an odd one. A lot of little things went sideways, turning a nuisance situation (wrong turn, stuck car) into a fatality. And more lives could have been lost.

The first phone call to 911 was essentially a call for a tow truck, not a rescue. The tow truck never showed up, and the call was never followed up.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions. Apparently two more calls to 911 were made. How did this fail to escalate into a rescue? Miscommunication or misunderstanding? Cultural issues? Why weren't more calls made when things got desperate? Dead cell phone? And why didn't anyone report a mother and two young children missing for nearly a week? There must be more to the story.

I confess my first response was anger/frustration. This loss of life was so completely preventable. An extra $10 worth of clothing/gear per person would have made the difference. The lady who walked out would have survived and brought help for the others. But it's never that simple.

If I take anything from this, it's the importance of letting someone know where you're going and when they should sound the alarm. The other thing is a reminder that the gear in my car may be used by someone other than myself -- possibly someone with little knowledge. Maybe I need to label some stuff with suggested uses, and include tiny booklets on first aid and survival basics.