a good man

Today, I am touched, inspired and saddened by the life of James Kim - loving father, devoted husband, senior editor at CNET, supreme gadgeteer.

James Kim and his wife, Kati Kim, and their 2 little girls - Penelope, 4 and Sabine, 7 months, went for a family road trip after Thanksgiving. Along this trip, on a snowy night, they took a wrong turn and got lost. Then, decided to follow a shortcut on the map, and being unabled to read warning signs obscured by snow, the family got stucked on a deserted backcountry road in the Mountains of Oregon; a road that was supposed to be gated and locked in the winter, but wasn't. They were out of range for all electronic gadgets, and could neither call for help, or be notified of a search and rescue party. The parents ran the car heater for warmth, and when the gas ran out, burnt the tyres, first the spare, then the rest. Kati breastfed both daughters when food ran out, while James hardly ate. After a week, James decided to go out on foot to seek help for his family, aiming for a village which they thought was 4 miles away but was actually 15. The plan was for him to return after 5 hrs if he couldn't find anything. He never did.

Kati and the girls were rescued 3 days later by helicopters hired by Jame's father for the search, the same helicopters that dropped sacks of food, warm clothes and letters in the mountains, in the hope that they will provide sustanence for James.

But James never had a chance to stumble across the packs. He was found, 11 days later, in a river bed, dead of hypothermia. He stayed alive for 2 days, and walked for 11 miles before he fell; rescuers had problems with 5, even with all of their gadgets and supplies. It was later found that the lock to that accursed road was vandalised.

I cannot imagine what it was like for the James and Kati, who tried to portray the whole ordeal to their girls as a camping trip. Were they at first hopeful that help would arrive in a day or 2, or thought that they could drive out of the hell hole eventually? Did a day or 2 turned into 5, then 7, with no sign that any search was under way? When the fuel ran out, how did it feel to realize that with that died the possibility of driving their own way out - that their fate were left in the hands of others, who might not even be aware that they were missing? What words were spoken before James decided to strike out into the wilderness, out of desperation to save his family? How did Kati bade goodbye, knowing that he was doing this for their sake, and that he might not be coming back? How did he feel when he kissed his daughters possibly for the last time, weak from hunger, yet strong with the will to protect them? Were the girls puzzled and troubled, yet not fully comprehending the heart breaks that they could feel in the air..

I can't express my feelings well enough, but he does.
http://sweetjuniper.blogspot.com

I choke up everytime I read about James. Because I know, that my father would do the same, were we ever in the same condition. And so would I.