Lessons learned from the Kim family tragedy
Chris Vardas alerted the Neighborhood Emergency Team Leaders to this Oregonian article: Confusion hampered search for Kims. As i read it, it became clear that only a succession of mistakes led to James Kim’s death. Tragedy might have been averted had any one of those mistakes not been made.
The first mistake was to take a road normally closed and impassible in the wintertime. This might have been avoided by a good map, or calling in for a road report. Another mistake was not turning around when they encountered boulders in the road (a clue that the route might not be well traveled that time of year), or continuing to proceed when visibility became so bad they had to drive with a car door open just to see the road. Each of these mistakes were little, incremental, but when cascaded together like they were, they very quickly became a big problem. These errors essentially amounted to a failure to take preliminary precautions, to adequately assess the situation and its dangers, and to properly react to them. NET members could face similar challenges, particularly when performing search and rescue operations. One little mistake can lead to another, and to another. Danger can be stealthy; we need to be vigilant.
Eventually the Kim’s recognized they were in a bad situation, and began to respond more appropriately. Unfortunately, it was at that point that the authorities began traveling down their own path of incrementally little mistakes which, taken collectively, had fatal results. A failure to communicate, to properly utilize the resources at their disposal, and a lack of experience were chief among culprits here. Had information been better relayed, had those in charge been more seasoned, or had helicopters with infrared sensors been in the air, the Kims may have been found days earlier, before James set out on his desperate trek. NETs could easily find themselves in a similar situation. None of us are seasoned professionals. And one of the lessons many of use learned at the summer rodeo this year was just how vital good lines of communication are, and how easily they can breakdown.
The final mistake was made by James Kim, and that was to leave the safety of his shelter. He had already waited a week for a rescue, and very likely he began to question if help would ever arrive; he probably felt a growing need to take some kind of action. It is very easy for us armchair quarterbacks, with our keen 20/20 hindsight, to say James should have stayed put. Clearly, had he done so, he would still be alive today. But i imagine James’ desperation increased with each passing day, with no idea if they would ever be rescued. Any of us, in that situation, might have been inclined to do something similar. However they had the essentials of survival: Air, water, shelter. They were not injured. Although they had nearly no food, people can generally survive at least three weeks without it.
Comments
Lessons from the Kim family disaster
The Kims had assets they didn't utilize, the largest being their car. Right after it became apparent they were not able to drive their way out and that rescue wasn't iminent, their car became disposable. First, the tires could have been burned. Take them off the vehicle and a ways away from the car and set them ablaze. Puncture the tire carcass first, or take out the valve stem. Fairly large, wet wood could be stacked on top to maintain the fire. There are 5 of these counting the spare. Burn one a day. There is also oil in the crankcase and gas in the tank. Both of those could be used to keep a fire going in spite of wet wood. Even if the gas is used to run the motor for heat, after it's gone the oil is available. The seats will come out and burn if soaked with oil, and leave more room inside the van.
All of that stuff burns with a wonderful black smoke and terrible odor. Any searcher smelling them would know someone is nearby. It also puts out one heck of an infrared signature, so if the weather cleared a bit they would be visible from the air day or night.
Tools, Planning & Knowledge
Excellent points. However some of your suggestions require tools which many people do not routinely carry with them.
For example, if the Kims were non-smokers, they might not have brought with them any fire-making tools. Years ago, all cars came standard with cigarette lighters, but anymore those are often optional equipment. Many road flares have been replaced by four-way flashers, LED emergency lights and collapsible reflective cones.
Getting gasoline out of the tank, or oil out of the crankcase, may not have been possible in the Kim’s situation. A few years ago, i was unsuccessful siphoning gasoline out of a 2001 vehicle sitting in my driveway, even with previous experience siphoning gasoline out of older vehicles, and with hoses, pumps and other tools readily at my disposal. Couldn’t even pump it out from the fuel line in the engine compartment!
That same vehicle proved equally challenging in locating and removing the oil filter. The filter was so small i couldn’t even locate it on the vehicle. Eventually i was able to find it, after much Googling to learn its location, and with help of a bright light under the engine. But once located, was unable to remove it from the vehicle, even though i had wrench of the proper size. The filter was on too tight and i just couldn’t get the leverage i needed. Can’t imagine trying to do that in the snow and cold.
When i was in my twenties, i routinely drove through mountain passes ill prepared for getting stranded in those areas. I was concerned about conditions at either end of my journey, but not with what was in-between. This likely describes most mountain-pass travelers today. Eventually it occurred to me: What if i had an accident or breakdown and became stranded in these conditions? Then i started packing my vehicle with supplies for just such an event.
I suspect few people carry many — if any — tools in their cars, other than those which came with the vehicle: wobbly jacks, and knuckle-scraping lug-nut wrenches, tucked away under an anemic spare tire. Driving cross-country carries with it risks and problems generally not present in-town. You may very well be in a situation where the AAA won’t be a handy phone call away. It requires planning and forethought to ensure a safe journey.
The Kims were surrounded by ample dry fuel for a fire, if they only knew where to look. And lots of green, sappy fuel to throw on a fire for creating a quick signal. A knife, fire-making tools, clothes for the conditions, and a little knowledge of wilderness survival techniques could have been a real lifesaver.
Carrying some basic survival gear & tools is a very good idea. As is exercising care not to fall into a dangerous situation to begin with. An ounce of prevention is worth several pounds of tools! And knowledge, which weighs nothing at all, is better still. The Kims really made a series of small mistakes, each leading to the next, which eventually became fatal. Such mistakes are easy enough to make. If we have a major earthquake, NET members may face similar challenges, were a series of small mistakes can cascade into a deadly situation.
One of the commonest mistakes people make in the game of poker is continue to play their hand, even though it looks increasingly unlikely to succeed, just because of what they already have invested in the pot. A good player will cut their losses and not continue to throw good money after bad, hoping for a miracle. And the same is true for situations like the Kims faced, or NET members might face after a disaster. Always be willing to re-evaluate the situation, and take a new course of action if it seems warranted. It could be a life-or-death decision, and there are no do-overs.
Lessons from the Kim family disaster
Superb points, and I should have addressed them in my first post. In the interest of brevity I omitted them.
I tried to make my suggestions matters which could be accomplished by people travelling without having taken any precautions. These things could be done with what is already in the vast majority of cars on the road and I'm reasonably certain were available to the Kims having seen a picture of their vehicle. However, it does take a mind-set which has made a leap.
I believe the very first "mistake" is viewing the vehicle as sacrosanct. After all, folks have money invested in them, may still owe more, and it's against our natures to damage them. I believe it takes a rather special person to regard it as expendable. Once that shift occurs, though, other worlds open up. Let me reply to your excellent points, trying to make my suggestions viable for the average schmuck such as myself, realizing that each situation is different and what seems reasonable in a safe, warm room may not reflect reality.
First, there would be a search initiated, and sooner or later it would include ALL possible avenues a vehicle could take. They would be found if they stayed along a road, preferably with a marker such as a vehicle. Indeed, that's what happened. Unless a person backtracks along their previous route, it usually does little good to get more lost. However, I am aware of the temptation when under a lot of stress to do something, anything, rather than sit. A friend of mine, one of a party of 4, died when they left a snow-bound vehicle on a reasonably popular road and headed off into a snowstorm without the requisite clothing. Apparently thought they would be able to walk 20 some miles after dark to help, even though someone would have been along the next day.
First, priorities. And #1 is warm. Wet is tolerable if one is warm. Next is water and after that getting help. A fire will greatly assist with all three.
The Kims were and are bright, well educated people, and I'm sure they would have known that even a "dead" battery will generate enough of a spark to ignite reasonable tinder. Shredded cotton is superb. The wrench for the lug nuts could be used to short it out across the tinder. That battery, especially if not allowed to completely discharge, is quite useful. It will probably be kept charged for a while, however inadvertently. There's the fire.
It's true most cars these days make it difficult to siphon gas out of them. The days of the 5 foot long tubular "credit card" are about over. However, it's probable the gas would be used to warm the car so using it may not be a realistic issue anyway. Once the gas is gone the oil is fair game. The small pair of pliers (see below) Chrysler included with my '94 van are more than adequate to remove the drain plug. What to use for a container is another issue, and I'm not sure I have a great answer. Maybe a jacket, hood from a jacket, cooler, pop cans or bottles, there's usually something.
Virtually every car in the condition of the Kim's comes with not only a spare tire but with a small tool kit including a jack, lug wrench, pliers and screwdriver. And being lost as they were, time is not a real concern. Use the spare first, being the easiest, normally, to get at. If one has to find wood or rocks to put under the jack, or dig a hole, fine. Jack the car up and take off a tire. Be sure to throw something under the axle or along the body to keep the body somewhat level to make it easier to get to the next, and the next tire. (The screwdriver would never poke a hole through the oil pan or gas tank, but probably have an easy time with the oil filter.)
I hope this adequately addressed your accurate observation that most folks have not pre-planned for disaster. That's true. And I may be wrong, but I believe that not opening one to all the possibilities may be the biggest threats. "Yeah, but - - - " and "If only - - - " can be quite debilitating.
And while I have a tool kit, etc., I never go anywhere without a CB set. Nowhere. It's not hooked up, I don't talk with truckers, but I can enable it in a very short while. For this purpose it will work, sometimes on the "skip", where cell phones won't and I'll just holler my guts out for help. Shamelessly and at length. I also have AAA and other towing insurance. If something happens, THEY have a problem. After I've implored "Big Daddy" or "Polar Roller" to call the appropriate folks I'm going to wait and read a book.
As a PS, knives are vastly overrated. I've done a lot of serious backpacking, for instance, and don't carry one when going light. Neither do many other folks serious about it. Some of them are so gung-ho they keep track of what they really use and when and knives simply aren't utilized. Seems odd, but true.
Thanks again for your thoughtful reply.
What would MacGyver do?
You make some more excellent points. While i think it’s interesting — and instructive — to consider what MacGyver would do in the situation that the Kims found themselves in, the thrust of my original article is really about avoiding the situation to begin with. The Kims didn’t find themselves suddenly transported into harm’s way, they progressed into it, baby-step by baby-step. If they hadn’t made a series of mistakes, each compounding upon the previous, tragedy might have been avoided.
It is only after they found themselves mired in a survival situation that the MacGyver factor kicks in. Once they reached that point, then your solutions very well might have averted tragedy.
One point i differ with you on is this: I’m a serious backpacker, and the one tool i wouldn’t be without is a knife. I use it on virtually every trip. Gerber and other manufacturers have got the weight down so low these days, there’s really no reason not to carry one. But i do admit that a knife’s importance is diminished if you have an array of other tools at your disposal (e.g. windproof lighter). But if you could carry only a single tool into a survival situation, most experienced survivalists will tell you that one tool should be a knife. There’s no excuse not to have one in your car.
I’d also like to echo your comments about a CB radio. Far more valuable than a cell phone in the wilderness. Although a shortwave radio is probably better still… but not that many people have a HAM license (not that a license matters in a survival situation, but you do need to know how to operate it, and experience is helpful).