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In Reply to: Re: keep us posted about the dad, ok? posted by melanie on December 5, 2006 at 6:24 am:
He didn't make it back. What a tragedy for this family... Missing Dad Found Dead in Oregon Mountains MERLIN, Ore. (Dec. 7) - A San Francisco man who struck out alone to find help for his family after their car got stuck on a snowy, remote road was found dead Wednesday, bringing an end to what authorities called an extraordinary effort to stay alive. A search helicopter spotted James Kim's body around noon, about a mile from where he set out in Oregon's snowy Klamath Mountains, two days after the rest of his family was rescued from the vehicle, stuck on a remote road. Investigators believe he traveled about eight miles in total, and said there was no way he could have reached the car directly from where he was found. Kim's body was at the foot of the Big Windy Creek drainage, a half-mile from the Rogue River, where ground crews and helicopters had been searching for days. A tearful Undersheriff Brian Anderson announced the discovery of the body, his voice breaking at one point. "He was very motivated," Anderson said. "We were having trouble in there. He traveled a long distance." He said he had few details about Kim's condition. The body was taken to Central Point for an autopsy, with the results expected to be released Thursday. Earlier in the day, searchers said they had uncovered clues that suggested Kim, 35, had shed clothing and arranged it to give searchers clues to his whereabouts. They also had made plans to drop rescue packages for Kim with clothing, emergency gear and provisions. Lt. Gregg Hastings of the Oregon State Police praised Kim's family, which had financed helicopter searches. "They have been true champions throughout this whole ordeal," Hastings said. Kim's wife, Kati, and two daughters were rescued Monday at their snowbound car. When he left the car Saturday, James Kim went about two miles along the road, and then headed down into a canyon, Hastings said. One pair of his pants were found about a mile below where he left the road. When he left his family, Kim was wearing tennis shoes, pants and a heavy coat, but no hat, Anderson said. The Kims were last seen Nov. 25 while heading toward home to San Francisco after a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest. Kati Kim told officers that, traveling south from Portland, the couple missed the turnoff from Interstate 5 to a state highway, Oregon 42, leading through the mountains to Gold Beach. The couple made a wrong turn and stopped in what they thought was a visible area. They used their car heater until they ran out of gas, then burned tires to stay warm and attract attention. With only a few jars of baby food and limited supplies, Kati Kim nursed her children. James Kim left his family about 7:45 a.m. Saturday in search of help and went the way they had come, saying he would return by 1 p.m. He did not return. On Monday, searchers in a helicopter hired by the family spotted Kati Kim, 30, and daughters Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months. They left a hospital in Grants Pass on Tuesday and were described as being in good condition. The key to finding them, police said, was a "ping" from one of the family's cell phones that helped narrow down their location. The complicated road network is commonly used by whitewater rafters on the Rogue River or as a shortcut to the coast in the summer, but it is not plowed in the winter and can be impassable. Outside the downtown San Francisco building where James Kim worked as a senior editor for the technology media company CNET Networks Inc., three red roses were laid at the base of the company's orange logo. Employees leaving the office were teary eyed and a courtyard usually packed with workers at lunchtime was vacant. The company canceled its holiday party scheduled Wednesday evening. Reply To This Post Return to Posts Index VegSource Home
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