CNET editor James Kim missing. UPDATE - Found deceased, family alive.

Chris in Cali

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UPDATE

Very, very sad.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061206/ap_on_re_us/missing_family

"MERLIN, Ore. - A San Francisco man who got stranded in the snowy wilderness with his family nearly two weeks ago was found dead Wednesday in a mountain creek, authorities said.

James Kim's body was discovered in Oregon's snowy Coast Range two days after his wife and two daughters were rescued from their car, stuck on a remote road. Kim had set out on foot over the weekend to find help for his family.

Ground crews and helicopters had been searching the area for Kim for days.

Kim, 35, was a senior editor for the technology media company CNET Networks Inc. He and his family had been missing since Nov. 25.

A pair of pants Kim had been wearing was found in the wilderness on Tuesday, raising fears that he had become delirious from the cold.

Searchers were emotional as they broke the news at temporary headquarters near the mountain road the Kim family took as they headed home to San Francisco from a holiday trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Earlier, Kati Kim told officers they were traveling south from Portland on Interstate 5 and missed the turnoff to a state highway, Oregon 42, that leads through the Coast Range to Gold Beach, where they planned to stay at a resort.

Officers said the couple used a map to choose the road they were on. "They got the map out — a regular highway map — that showed the route," Anderson said.

However, it wasn't clear whose map the couple used. The 2005-2007 state highway map distributed by the Oregon Department of Transportation has a warning in red print, inside a red box: "This route closed in winter." A Rand-McNally map did not have a similar warning.

On Monday, searchers in a private helicopter hired by the family spotted Kati Kim, 30, and daughters Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months. They were released from a hospital in Grants Pass on Tuesday.

After leaving Portland on Interstate 5, search leaders said, the couple missed a turnoff that leads to the coast and took a wrong turn on a twisty mountain road they chose as an alternative.

Stuck, 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.

The area's 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."



http://www.gamespot.com/news/6162608.html

"An aerial search is underway for a missing editor from CNET, GameSpot's parent company. James Kim, his wife, and two young daughters were last seen last Saturday, driving a 2005 silver Saab station wagon with California personalized plates reading "DOESF." They were driving to Gold Beach on the Southern Oregon Coast, where Oregon State Police are scouring state Highway 38, Interstate 5, and surrounding roads. Anyone with any information on the Kims' location is urged to contact the Pacific Northwest call center for the case at 1-800-452-7888. They can also reach the SFPD at 415-558-5508 during business hours and at 415-553-1071 after hours. "

That's pretty crazy, I hope he's alright. I always watch all the tech reviews this guy does. I was actually just watching this a few mintues ago...

http://reviews.cnet.com/Zune_30GB_black/4505-6490_7-32068976.html
 
Wow thats crazy. Hope they find him. Sadly, I don't see any positive in him gone missing. I really enjoyed him on Techtv he was one of the lab rats.

Lets hope its something crazy like he drop his cellphone in the water, or the power went out, and his car broke down on the Oregon Cost.
 
Update: Following confirmed sightings of the Kims in Roseburg, Ore., last Saturday night, search efforts are shifting north to Douglas County, Oregon police said Saturday morning.
 
Very disturbing, I read about this on Digg earlier.

If I had to take a guess, I'm going to guess an accident that caused the car to go off-road :(
 
Yeah, I remember him from the tech tv guys and it's said to hear this. I hope they are all safe, but I in my gut I feel that the worst has happened. Especially after them being gone for so long.
 
I have a feeling for the worse as well. But lets hope that it was supposed to be 2 weeks vacation and cnet got all jumpy about his absence. And since he's on a 2 week vacation he has his phone off so it can be family time the whole vaction.
 
I saw the article but I'm not really sure how it happened. It's encouraging that they found his wife and children, it seems like that increases the chances of finding James Kim alive and well.
 
[quote name='AvidWriter']They didn't say in the report why they were there. Accident? Car broke down etc.[/QUOTE]
Yeah that's what I was wondering too. I think they said on TV that the car ran off the road.
 
This article has more detail: http://www.nbc11.com/news/10461502/detail.html

Good for the dad for hiring the copter that found them.

Sounds like they really kept their head, but I guess after a week James figured he had to go off to find help as no one was going to be finding them. I'd think he wouldn't have gone if he didn't think he could survive the nights, so maybe it will have a 100% happy ending. I think they better find him very soon, though.

I remember him from his TechTV days as well.
 
This was mentioned on national network news.

They ran the car for warmth until they ran out of gas, according to Anderson. The family then burned tires at night to stay warm.
That is awesome, as wubb said it definitely sounds like they kept their cool.

The helicopter was one of three helicopters James Kim's father hired over the weekend to do an aerial search of the roads along the route the family was supposed to take.

WTF? Sounds like search and rescue needs a bigger budget.
 
In the video at cnet.com they officers said they have a helicopter with FLIR coming in. Which is a heat sensing camera IIRC. If he's under the tree canopy they'll never see him. He needs to stay near roads.
 
[quote name='CitizenB']In the video at cnet.com they officers said they have a helicopter with FLIR coming in. Which is a heat sensing camera IIRC. If he's under the tree canopy they'll never see him. He needs to stay near roads.[/quote]

if you're familiar with the region, there aren't that many roads.

i don't understand why he didn't stay with the family and car where the heat signature would be strongest.

honestly, his chance of survival is quite low, given the conditions, unless he really knows his shit.
 
[quote name='Sleepkyng']if you're familiar with the region, there aren't that many roads.

i don't understand why he didn't stay with the family and car where the heat signature would be strongest.

honestly, his chance of survival is quite low, given the conditions, unless he really knows his shit.[/QUOTE]

Not familiar with it the area at all. But I mean people do drive down what few roads there are more then through the forest. you see what I'm saying. A road is a road that will lead somewhere. A forest is a forest and most of it looks the same.

He's proably 20-100 miles from where he started and doing circles in the forest. Not saying that in a mean way. But we humans have a dominate leg we stride with longer, and stronger which makes us walk in big circles in the forest.

[quote name='rickonker']CNET says authorities have not released details of how this happened. Anyone know why?[/QUOTE]

Maybe he hit someone?
 
This story has even more detail: http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2701123&page=1

"The family's Thanksgiving road trip turned into a fight for survival when a wrong turn sent them down a rural mountain road."

Apparently James didn't have much in the way of equipment and he set out early with the plan to turn around and get back to the car by nightfall if he didn't make it to the main road.
 
Hasn't been found yet according to the latest articles I can find.

This article has even more detail: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/05/BAGDOMPNDO7.DTL

Authorities said they were hopeful that James Kim would be found alive, despite overnight temperatures that have dipped into the 20s. Early morning fog has now cleared, improving prospects for finding Kim from the air, Anderson said.

Kim was wearing a heavy jacket, sweater and blue jeans, and had two lighters with him when he set out for help, Anderson said.

"They are pretty resourceful," he said. "They survived nine days out there, so maybe he got a fire going."
 
More details are coming out now. I read that James gathered berries to eat while he was with his family.
 
There has to be a point in desperation when you assume that the search has ended. By day 9, I might be there as well.

I agree with a lot of the comments that, in this case, staying in the car would have saved his life (I say saved because quite frankly, I can't see the chances being anything better than slim of them finding him). But I don't think any of us have been in a situation like this, so it's a nice Monday morning QB hypothetical, but given this situation not knowing the outcome, we'd all probably head out looking for help eventually.

I guess my big question is I can't understand how they got so lost where they did. I understand taking the scenic route and all that, but I dunno, I'm more of the "follow the major highways when I don't know where the hell I am" type.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']James Kim's.... pants have been found: http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_120506_news_missing_family_tues.569404ac.html

This is not going to end well. :cry:[/quote]

Pants found by themselves and it's freakin' freezing out? I'm also thinking he passed out and an animal got him.

Or maybe he got so cold that he lost his senses, took his pants off and they'll find a pantless James wandering around in the snow. I hope.

Come on, this has to have a good ending.
 
They're saying he may have had another pair of pants and were leaving those as a marker to point out what direction he was going.
 
[quote name='lordwow']They're saying he may have had another pair of pants and were leaving those as a marker to point out what direction he was going.[/QUOTE]
I was thinking the same thing.

If he was attacked by an animal, it wouldn't have left a neat pair of pants.
 
I find it incredible that an editor for CNET didn't have a GPS system with him for crying out loud!!!

Wow, I hope it turns out ok, but I'm fearing the worst.
 
[quote name='gofishn']Chances are he passed out an animal got him. So sad.[/quote]

what animal in souther oregon is going to "get him"

elk? deer? raccoon?
 
[quote name='keithp']I find it incredible that an editor for CNET didn't have a GPS system with him for crying out loud!!!

Wow, I hope it turns out ok, but I'm fearing the worst.[/QUOTE]
Is it possible that he did have one but he didn't want to risk traveling on foot until the day he left?
 
[quote name='keithp']I find it incredible that an editor for CNET didn't have a GPS system with him for crying out loud!!!

Wow, I hope it turns out ok, but I'm fearing the worst.[/QUOTE]

I read somewhere that he never gave a GPS an Editor's Choice award and he said that they are unnecessary. I'm sure he wishes he had one now.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']I read somewhere that he never gave a GPS an Editor's Choice award and he said that they are unnecessary. I'm sure he wishes he had one now.[/QUOTE]

Of all technology nowadays. I feel that a cell phone, and GPS are the best things to have.
 
[quote name='Sleepkyng']what animal in souther oregon is going to "get him"

elk? deer? raccoon?[/QUOTE]

Black bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars...
 
He's a smart dude. The pants thing is mos def a sign from him. Now if they say they found some shreaded up pants then thats a whole different story.
 
[quote name='pimpinc333']He's a smart dude. The pants thing is mos def a sign from him. Now if they say they found some shreaded up pants then thats a whole different story.[/QUOTE]

Oh yeah, that's smart. :lol:
 
I don't get it. He said he was going to go back, but then he leaves his pants as a sign? Did he get lost?

And why would you leave your pants if it was freezing cold??
 
[quote name='rickonker']I don't get it. He said he was going to go back, but then he leaves his pants as a sign? Did he get lost?

And why would you leave your pants if it was freezing cold??[/QUOTE]

Simple he was wearing more then one pair. Seeing how they were traveling fo Thanksgiving peope generally take more then 1 set or 1 outfit. He knew it was cold out so he put on as many pairs of pants he had. Sure its a long shot but it could be true.
 
[quote name='rickonker']I don't get it. He said he was going to go back, but then he leaves his pants as a sign? Did he get lost?

And why would you leave your pants if it was freezing cold??[/QUOTE]Maybe he wandered into a dice game that got robbed?
 
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