Lessons from the James Kim Tragedy

As you probably know, CNet journalist James Kim died this week trying to find help for he and his family, who had become stranded in the backwoods of Oregon. Hopefully this tragedy can help others, however, by reinforcing the idea that we should always be prepared for this type of situation--and a few lessons can be learned from James' mistakes that might save someone's life in the future.

First, I came across a website that someone put together that illustrates James' path using GPS coordinates provided by the rescue agencies that tracked him, combined with technology from Google Earth. The data shows that James followed the road that they had become stuck on for a while, and then struck out off-road, proceeding down a ravine. Press reports indicate that he had been tracked by a bear, which is probably why he left the road. The most heartbreaking item from the track is that he basically wound up going in a circle, passing away not far from where he started--and if he had only started out by going the other way on the road, he would have come across a lodge in a very short period of time.

So what lessons can be learned from this? If you're planning on taking a trip through unfamiliar territory, consider the following:

1. Carry a detailed map of the area you plan to travel through, along with a quality compass and basic map-reading and navigation skills (GPS is great until the batteries die!). A good map would have quite likely saved Mr. Kim's life--he would have seen the lodge on the map and started up the road the other way.
2. Carry an emergency kit in your car that includes non-perishable/high-calorie foods, drinking water, matches, flares, blankets, flashlight, etc.
3. Invest in a GPS; they are available for less than $100, and make sure that you have spare batteries. If you're gadget-minded like me, you can get topographical maps of the area you're traveling through and load them into the GPS.

There is an excellent, much more complete list available at http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/wilderness-survival-kit-gadgets-and-ideas-that-could-save-your-life-220100.php ; highly recommended reading.

Rest in peace, James Kim--I'm really glad your family survived. I'm sure that was the one thing that you hoped for, regardless of your personal fate. I would feel the same way about my family!