I am 73 and a life long Oregon resident. Memorial Day weekend about 1977 a group of friends and I floated the Rogue River roughly from Galice to Agness in rubber rafts we rented from the Oregon State University Outdoor Program. We took out at a place called Illahe landing not far from Agness and decided that negotiating a maze of logging roads was the best way back to I-5. Even in late May we pondered the possibility of encountering late season snow, but it was warm and sunny. Even under favorable conditions it was not an easy drive. When I heard about the missing Kim family in 2006 I was by then the father of young children. I followed the developments intently and understood immediately that James Kim's decision to depart on foot was what any father would try to do under the circumstances and I consider him a hero for what he attempted. I always try to learn something from these tragedies and, among other things, carry a box in my Jeep when I travel very far from home packed with survival stuff that would allow me to construct a shelter, melt snow, cook food, etc. Some people make fun of me for this, but I am undeterred. I am thinking of labelling it the James Kim Box.
Ive been out on that southern route between crescent city and grants pass. Ive driven the back roads of the Lost Coast in NorCal many times. Some of those tiny little roads wind slowly through the mountains and you cant do more than 5 to 10 mph. They can be rough, washed out, and some of them are narrow tracks on the edges of deep ravines barely wide enough to get a midsize car through. Definitely an adventure that you need to be prepared for. There are truly some magical places out there, though.
na na I also always have stuff like extra blankets , life straws and flint in my car for me and my babies , just in case, its better have it and not need it than need it and not have shit and be shit outta luck ya know, smart is always the way to go
I overheard my wife listening to this story and instantly knew as soon as I heard “Kim family,” “CNET,” and”Oregon” who the story was about. I was in the Oregon national guard unit that sent the helicopters who lifted the family out and found James Kim. It was one of the happiest and saddest search and rescue missions I remember from my 8 years with that unit.
Thank you for your service. You are one of our heroes out there in the dark. Someone hardly ever thinks about until they NEED you for life or death operations like this one was. Thank you for your service and for being a super hero of sorts. 💕🌎💕
I knew too, but only because mrballen did this same story about 3 years ago.... And while this creator is good..... Hes not mr ballen.... Not even lil ballen or boy ballen level.... Interesting to hear a second perspective though and some details that were missed.
Mr. Ballen said a rescue helicopter spotted James' footprints in the snow and followed them to the car, which is how his family was found and saved. This guy didn't mention that detail. Is this true? Did James save his family by making that trail in the snow? I'm hoping you'll know since you were there and know this story first hand.
James is a hero I don't think people realize how hard 16 miles are in the snow and un suited for the cold wilderness in dress ....already starving ...I heard another person cover this and he said the first helicopter pilot followed James footprints back too the car and that's how they found the girls Soo he did actually save them!!!
Me too. So if that’s true, his family was saved because he left the car. He sacrificed himself as none of them would have been found if not for his trail.
James is a fool. He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
A sad story with a bittersweet ending. So amazing that Katie and her little girls survived the horrible ordeal but equally sad that James died bravely trying to get rescue for his family. Hope Katie and her girls are doing well and may James rest in peace.
Hello Kyle! We’re from Sweden and some 10 years ago we flew to Seattle from Chicago, hired a car drove around the NW states (and Canada). After dropping off our daughter who travels with us for a week or so and who lives in Chicago, we drove south along the coast and suddenly decided to turn inland and head for Grants Pass. Besides we were a bit worried as we were a bit low on fuel, but off we went that evening one early Autumn evening. The GPS hinted us about towns or villages, that when we passed them by just were scattered houses, so finally in total darkness we were on Bear Camp Rd in total darkness. My wife later told me I should be lucky for the absent light as the were drop-offs all a long and I am scare of heights. Instead I was manoeuvering the 4x4 on a narrow, winding dirt road (for most of the time), watching the fuel lamp turn on, but eventually got to our destination running on fumes in the tank. When we told the guy at the gas station about us driving through the wilderness he just noted “You were lucky, it’s bear hunting season …”.
@ I was mostly scared to be stuck with an empty tank. My wife saw all the steep sides while I was concentrating to see where the road was leading us in the darkness, but yeah, a bit scary though.
You did a solid job telling this story, Kyle. I almost didn’t watch it because I’m from Oregon and lived in the area at the time this happened. And it still haunts me. The community held its breath while they searched for the Kim family, and then searched for James. So many of us held out hope that he’d be found alive, but were heartbroken when he wasn’t. RIP James
Kyle, I have to say that has to be the most beautiful and respectful take I’ve ever heard on this story. Yes, they should have turned around; yes, they should never have kept going. But they did. And a dad did what he knew he had to do. RIP to James, and to Penelope and Sabine - it’s obvious your dad loved you very much. ❤️❤️
Lifelong Oregonian here, now living on the coast. Oregon backcountry rules: Just because it looks like a road doesn’t mean it is a road for your use. If you must leave your car, follow the road. Only cut through the woods and follow a creek if there is no logging road. Hiking thru our thick wet brush and steep terrain is far more difficult than using the road, even if it appears to be a shorter distance. Don’t take short cuts. Take the easy way, even if it appears longer.
Sandy, OR here. If you get very far from I-5 or I-84, or Hwy 101 to a lesser extent, the population gets very sparse very quickly. We are a wild and beautiful state. Things can also go south very fast with just a simple mistake or 2. Summer or winter, the potential danger is different but equally real. Preparedness is key. My truck is stocked with MRE’s, a 5 gallon marmite of water, layers of clothing and other various gear AT ALL TIMES. Pack it in the cargo spaces and hope you never need it but know it’s always there. This story is well known here. It’s tragic.
@@WarPigstheHun we're just now starting to use salt to clear the highways when it snows. that only took decades, but now you want signs too? Oregon says no; apparently our entire population would rather endure countless traffic/weather-related disasters if it means we're one step closer to employing more environmentally friendly ways of cautioning drivers than with salt and signs. cheers, an oregonian. Being a green state trumps death, duh. ;)
you had me seething at the mention of "i 84" hello you, neighbor, fellow individual who probably also cringes at the number of times we've had to hear someone call one of our bodies of water the "will-eh-met" river ... if you know you know
true Oregon because you said I-5 and I-84!. Hi neighbor! Oregon City here, but grew up outside of Astoria at the end of logging roads in one of those towns that doesn't have its own post office *gasp*
@@Sarkkumurkku I love astoria, hello goonies. I love oregon city, my mom lives off of mcloughlin near gladstone. I am from SE, went to h/s in milwaukie good times... sarcasm ;)
John Rachor was a franchise owner of Burger King in Medford OR. My first job late 1979/80. He was into flying and flew me to an event in Portland 1981. I spoke with him about this very story a few years ago and thanked him for his unpaid service in S&R he offered. He said "that's what I do". Good man.
I'm from FNQ, Australia. Every year around this time, we have at least one tourist die at one of our notorious swimming holes/waterfalls. Check out Babinda boulders, devils pool. There's an aboriginal legend where a young woman named Oolana threw herself off the rocks and died because she wasn't allowed to be with her lover from a different tribe. She is now said to haunt there and goes after mainly men. There have been 21 deaths (nearly all tourists) and 20 of those are men. There is a logical reason why devils pool is so dangerous and it has something to do with how the boulders are formed and the current. Us locals will never go near devils pool and there are plenty of warning signs posted. We have 3 notorious but beautiful swimming holes/waterfalls, all with signs everywhere but still tourists don't heed the warnings. Literally every year someone dies. It's so heartbreaking every time. Love your work Kyle! Merry Christmas eve 🎄🎅
I'm right in the Sydney city 5min on bus I hate it noise smell humidity. I'd love the rural area. Just had no opportunities. Boo hoo! To me lol...enjoy the holidays guys...🇦🇺
I wonder if it is mostly men because men are usually more prone to risk taking. They are also usually stronger and heavier - which would make them plunge further into the water at a faster pace. Once they are too far in, it's harder to get out?
@@EthanDurant Only a fool would say what you said - YOU are the fool and a coward. James put his body where his mouth was and helped to rescue his family. How is that foolish? Have you ever been in his situation? Probably not, due to your condemnation which is wholly unnecessary and unwarranted among other things.
Hi Kyle! I currently live in Florida , but I spent the first 39 years of my life in Connecticut. I know one thing from experience: never take a "back road' during the winter, even if it's not snowing. Prayers for this family and especially the dad.
Heck you have to be careful taking some highways. I was on a trip to visit the in laws back when I was married and it looked like all I had to do was get on one highway and it was a straight shot 99% of the way.... And it was a straight shot but about halfway into the trip that highway went from 4 lanes to two lanes with almost nothing around. Literally driving through forest seeing the occasional logging truck, praying I would see a gas station before my tank ran out. Once I learned where the gas stations were I loved taking that road to the in laws but the first trip was nerve wracking.
I'm a 48yo legal immigrant from Venezuela. My wife and I are now citizens living in Florida. We home school our daughter (15yo) and we all love your channel. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
nice !! I may have been born in Brooklyn and grew up in New York City all my life, but WE ALL CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE unless you are Native American/Indigenous people from thousands of years ago !!! Think Mayflower and Jamestown (both from England, 1600's). So my relatives from Italy, Germany, and more in late 1800's. WELCOME and Merry Christmas too !
Bear Camp Road requires caution at all times. Do not enter, don't pass go if you are on a casual day trip. It requires proper vehicle, equipment, supplies. Even now. No one is invincible, no vehicle is invincible. One thing about the Oregon outback is the lack of phone signal, deep canyons, high mountains, no phone signals.
Reminds me of the old song by CW McCall called black bear road. It looked like a short cut through the mountains and when the got to the road it had a sign that said "you don't have to be crazy to drive this road but it helps" and the song ends with their jeep going over a cliff while the were having a picnic lunch.
Yeah... I remember as a child , being taken hunting, and we were in central Oregon... I don't know the roads, but the parental units thought they would take the bronco on a narrow path, with a big bottomless drop cause their logging buddy told them they saw dear...then we found the track had washed away. Can't turn around.,,my parents decided we would go back and up the side. But that bronco wasn't a climber, so we just ended up upsidedown, popping the windows, stuck. But we were lucky, cause it was fall weather, maybe 6 inches of snow, but we didn't go over the edge, thank the gods🎉 and his logging buddy was only a few hours away, and knew the area. Used the CB. But the ride home was cold and windy...6 hours with popped windows. They rolled that bronco several more times, on safer terr I hate hunting, fishing, any natural bodies of water.... I hate the idea of being out in any outback, unpopulated nature thanks to them. But boy can I shoot straight and drive rough snowy roads😂. Cause the parents of course drank hunting. Ah the American way in the 70s 😂😂😂😂😂😂!!!
Until this year, I have had a kind of "what if?" survivor's guilt about this. 2 days before the Kims went down Bear Camp Road, I almost did too. I had driven down to Central point to pick up a puppy, and was continuing on to Port Orford. I had a flip phone, Mapquest printouts, and a Rand-McNally Oregon Atlas. I was driving a 1996 Ford Bronco and carrying chains, food, and water - with 2 adult dogs as well as the puppy (three dog night warm), and I was used to wilderness adventures. My breeder asked about my plans, and when I told her, she didn't say "don't." She did say "Hmmmm. Call me when you get there, okay?" That was enough to let doubt creep in -- when I stopped to gas up in Grant's Pass, I pulled out my atlas and asked the attendant about the road. He straight up told me "You are not going to save any time going that way. You are WAY better off going down I-5 into California, and coming back up the coast." So I did. It was snowing in the redwoods on I-5, and hairy enough on the freeway that I was glad I hadn't taken the other way. I made it safely to Port Orford, and honestly don't remember at what point I heard about the Kims. As soon as I did though, the "what if I had taken that road" plagued me. What if I had gotten stuck? My breeder would have sent out a search party the next day. Maybe if that had happened, the Kims would never have taken that road. Maybe they still would have, but would have encountered searchers and been turned back. Maybe they would have encountered ME. What if I hadn't gotten stuck though? Maybe the road would have been clear enough that I made it all the way through, and nothing would have changed at all. What If I had gotten stuck, and found quickly, and it changed nothing anyway? This year I found out from the spouse of an LE searcher that someone closed that gate during the search, so no one looked down that road. It is unclear why, especially in light of the tire tracks. God bless that man, and everything he did to try to save his family.
My brother lives off Hwy 199, which runs from Grants Pass, OR to the coastal town of Crescent City, CA, the northern most town in CA before you head back up into OR. While it may have seemed to be an extra long drive to then have to loop back up to get to their destination, it is a road that is maintained during inclement weather, dotted with small communities along the way where you can stop for food, gas, etc. It’s also a sure-shot to the coast. What a shame they didn’t just stay on that major road.
They could have taken Hwy42 from Winston/Roseburg to Bandon and then south on 101 40 miles to Gold Beach. Super easy, super safe with gas stations, restaurants and tire shops once you get into Myrtle Point
Yeah you gotta be careful about that stuff. When I first got married to my ex wife we went to visit the in laws. My in laws always took the interstate but I was looking at the map and saw one highway that ran right by where I lived was a straight shot to the town next to theirs. So I decided to go that way. I got on the very busy 4 lane highway and headed out. And about halfway there that well maintained 4 lane road suddenly changed to a 2 lane back road through the middle of the wilderness. An I mean that literally. I passed through a town and it dropped to two lanes as soon as you left that town. I spent the second half of the drive surrounded by Forest seeing the occasional logging truck and praying to see a gas station when I needed one. Once I learned where the stations were (basically as long as you filled up when it switched to 2 lane you could make it to a tiny town with a gas station and then you could fill up and you were maybe 30 minutes from civilization) I loved driving that road way and having zero traffic for half the trip but the first time was a nail biter.
This reminds me of the Stolpa family. The married couple that was in the army, who was visiting family in California for Christmas. They too were in Oregon when they got lost and what’s worse is that they had a newborn baby with them. The husband had to leave his wife and newborn in a shelter as he walked for many miles until he found a guy driving a snowplow. The rescue team had to use snowmobiles to locate the wife and the newborn by the directions the husband gave them. they all lived but had to get parts of their feet amputated because of the frostbite . It is an amazing story.
Hello, I'm watching from Poland. Specifically from Poznań. I love your videos. Usually I play them when I clean my apartment or when cooking food. Merry Christmas everyone
I’m from the Oregon coast. I remember this case. I felt so sad that the father, who was so brave to go out in the freezing cold to save his family and lost his life. Unfortunately, these seasonal roads have been hazardous for many people over the years. My heart goes out to the family for their loss.
Absolutely, this rule has kept me from serious trouble. Sad how many times people have tried to avoid going backwards on a route, only to end up in far worse shape
Portland, Oregon, here. I had to stop this video several times to take a break because I remember this happening in real time. I also have two daughters a similar age to the Kim children and we did a lot of road trips, day trips and camping in the PNW. You really summed it up with the intro about two separate endings. This still haunts me every time I hear about it again.
I’m old enough to know this story heart wrenching then and now. He was definitely a true hero and it’s amazing that his family survived. Kudos to the helicopter pilot who went looking for this family on his own.
Watching from Calgary, Alberta! I love the way you tell these stories, Kyle. You balance compassion and teaching lessons so well. I'm incredibly sad for this family and while I had a lot of "how did this happen?!" thoughts early on in the video, I feel like those questions aren't that important in the end. Or maybe, the questions are important to help others avoid the same fate, but it doesn't make any difference when it comes to a situation that already happened. These parents fought so hard to keep their girls alive, and that's what should be remembered in the end.
I so remember this story and it just made me so incredibly sad!!😢 You told the story so extremely well Kyle, even adding more information than I had heard before! And photos! Well done!
Being from Wyoming, I understand remoteness and very small "towns." Such a sad story- what a terrible position to find one's self in, being totally unprepared and apparently ignorant of the danger in the situation until it was too late. In the end, James gave everything he had to save his family.
Yeah, I literally just got chills when Kyle described the route this couple was going to take. I was down in this area in the spring hiking the Rogue River Trail. These roads are very remote and not passable if there’s snow.
I hope James' sacrifice is some comfort to his children. Tragic story. Really enjoy the channel and the effort you put into bringing the stories to life while honoring those that have been lost. Indianapolis resident here, btw.
James is a fool. He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
As a former map user (yes, I'm that old), maps as a rule didn't include single lane dirt roads. Condolences to his family and friends. As a father, yes indeed you will do whatever it takes to save your family. For off-road travels nowadays we have GPS technology and cell phones (along with maps) to help us navigate the roads less traveled.
Hey Kyle, I’m in Yorkshire, England. My Cousin used to live in Portland and I visited her about 20 years ago -went to Mount Hood, Multnamah , Tillamook, and Gold beac! Beautiful country.wondeful people. Love listening to you ❤
I’m from Southern Utah. This story is heartbreaking but like you said, happy at the same time knowing his family survived. I think we all forget how hard traveling was before the internet on our phones!
I'm watching your so well researched videos from Hamburg, Germany 😊 Merci !! Happy Holidays to everyone ♥️ Thank you for also spreading awareness - while always beeing respectful and honoring towards those, who suffered and those, who even lost their lifes.. through these frequently so very devasting, oppressive, sad stories..
This story hit home, hard. The Kim’s were locals and Jims loss was devastating to everyone in Tech in the Bay Area, young families, relatives, neighbors, etc… it was like a nightmare come to life. I never heard an ill word about him, may his family be comforted by his memories. SF Native, Redwood City, CA currently. Happy Holidays to everyone 🎄🕎🍌🍎🍇🌟❣️
I am from Portland, Oregon! I absolutely remember when this happened. It was so sad! What a beautiful family; and what a horrible tragedy. Love you, Kyle! Or… Perhaps I should say, “I hate you, Kyle“. Thanks for all your hard work! You’ll be at 1 million subscribers before you know it.
Hey Portland, I'm from California but went to school near Roseberg don't they call those roads logging roads? I was going to say everyone knew to stay off logging roads during winter.
They do call them “logging roads”. Unfortunately, and Kyle may have mentioned this but I don’t recall, James wasn’t totally aware of this and he was using Mapquest and looking at a paper map. Old school paper maps (think Thomas Guide) are notorious for not clearly marking logging roads or roads that might be closed seasonally. On paper maps they look like regular roads; it’s unclear on the map if they are impassable.
I am from Germany, I can not Imagine that there are roads that lead into death in the US. That ist so scary to me. In Germany you will always return home save If you go anywhere by car (of course If you dont get into an accident).
LOL! Here in Tennessee we have thousands of acres of forest. My husband jokes that Tennessee has more trees than people. There are plenty of places where you can't get phone service, so you need to stick to main roads or get terrain maps--should you decide to go exploring. You don't always know what type of person you will run into, either. I think mountain communities can be a bit clannish. Plus some odd groups of folks create their own lives out there. (Or compounds, in some cases.) I own an off-road vehicle, but I hope I never go off-road. The most off-road I want to go is running off the end of the driveway into the ditch--and I don't really want to do that. I live vicariously through Kyle, mountain climbing videos, and caving adventures. I count on the rest of you to create these great stories!
I'm a US citizen who lived in Germany for a few years. It is a beautiful country! My husband and I also had the privilege of driving across the United States and it's mind-blowing how enormous this country actually is. Wish I could move back to Germany, though! It's a much nicer way of living.
The west has taste wilderness areas, but even in the east are areas you could get lost and snowed into if you took a logging road. The reality is weather ultimately played a huge role in this as the shear amout of snow is a big part of whythry dintvget tired around properly ( as then even out of gas they would have been found on bear rd)
Oregon - I lived down in southern Oregon at the time this story and remember this sad news. The gas attendant was probably extremely confused because locals would have taken 199 south ro 101 to get to Gold Beach - year round. There are also sooooo many logging road gates in Oregon for workers to close that they easily simply florgot which one road was missed. A very sad story in general.
@@bethanyveil2751 fellow Oregonian here who grew up at the end of an old logging road. Agreed! There are simply too many gates and not enough workers, I don’t think it’s even a forgetting issue-
I’m from Southern Oregon, only about an hour north of Grants Pass, this story was so sad. Most people who know I-5 are aware of all the hinky roads that lead to the coast. Exit 119 leads to Winston, Oregon and HWY 42. It’s a beautiful drive that takes you to HWY 101 just North of Coos Bay. I love when people want to visit our coast, it’s the most beautiful coastline (IMO) in the US. You can always see sea lions, sometimes whales, and the overlooks are on rocky cliffs where you can see for miles. I invite EVERYONE to experience it at least once in their lives. Oregon is an absolutely gorgeous state, I’m so sorry accidents like this showcase the dangers of our logging roads and overshadow the beauty. Such a sad story.
Those logging roads in that area are terrifying, even in good weather. I will never forget my father driving our family to Happy Camp, which isn’t too far away. It must have been in the 1960s. Those logging trucks would come barreling around the sharp curves. I was sure we were going over a cliff.
This story takes place in my neck of the woods. I've lived in Southern Oregons Rogue Valley all of my 58 years and have traveled Bear Camp Road many times. It is a beautiful drive but not for everybody and definitely not in winter. Steep mountain ranges for miles and no amenities or other people to speak of. Such a horrible tragedy that is still talked about around here.
This one troubles me. My mom knows this family. They are nice and well to do in noe valley area. Went up north like many do in winter. But bay area people dont understand snow so well… it was tragic for this man. I wish they stayed together .
I lived in Noe Valley, and I've been in Oregon a long time. This story hit home, Californian's cannot relate to backwoods underdeveloped culture in Oregon. It's a different world here.
It’s Christmas Eve morning 2024 & I’m just chillin, binge listening to your yt channel. Thanks for all the stories you research & share. My heart goes out to the families that don’t survive wilderness due to being lost and or inexperience. What may not occur as common sense in these scenarios, listener’s are learning through other’s experiences & your advice. I love your give back idea with each true story you present. You’re doing good work Kyle, you’re a good guy 😊
Listening to this while sweating away in my home on the beautiful Atherton Tablelands in north Queensland, Australia. A wonderful and safe Christmas to you, Kyle, and all your listeners ❤
Hi, I’m from England, near London, I’ve watched you for atleast 6 months now and I binged your channel unexplainably a few days after discovering it and i’ve been going to sleep to your videos, multiple of them, most nights. Thanks bro
I love that she loved him when she saw him. I fell in love with my husband’s voice over the phone five days before our first date. We haven’t been without one another since, thank God.
OMG, when I'm gone my wife has the house to herself, picks up her favorite junk food, watches whatever she wants on TV, etc. Her only real responsibility is to take the dog out (if he's not with me). So, she enjoys her time alone and I enjoy mine. It's been that was since we were married 35+ years ago...
@@denverdubois5835 Love at first sight isn't a real thing, LUST at first sight is more accurate. You women trying to make your lust cute is bizarre to me.
The rhythm of your telling of survival stories is perfect, Kyle. I love this channel. Yours and Mr Ballen are my top two on RUclips. I’m from Melbourne, Australia.
Coming from Alaska I know that when hypothermia sets in the body thinks that it is overly hot and so the first thing people do is shed their clothes in an effort to cool down further exacerbating this condition.
Lived in Seattle, WA all my life. Got obsessed with backpacking back in 2018. I've done all of Oregon and Washington on the PCT over a couple summers. Came across your channel about 3 years ago and have probably seen almost all your vids. Keep it up man! Especially your new stories. Good move 🤙
My sister lived in Happy Camp California for a very long time its literally almost on the northern border of california i would have to fly into Medford Cali then drive 4 hours to get to her house the roads in southern oregon amd northern California are literally no joke and thats coming from someone from rugged part of Montana. The roads over there are some of the scariest roads I've ever been on i dreaded having to go anywhere over there.
Born and raised in Oregon, currently live in Oregon City. Thank you for saying it correctly. This was a very tragic but heroic story. May the four winds blow him safely home.
Born in Mill City oregon. Stayed here my whole life. These mountains definitely aren't for every flatlander that's for sure. If you don't know what you're doing don't just come up here empty-handed. This is what happens to people that are not prepared for Oregon 💔
@@terrikeentk so true..oregonians are prepared for this mountain, I've driven it multiple times. We don't call it Bipoloregon for nothing.. always be prepared for boots or flip flops. 😁
James was a damn hero, he stepped up as a man and tried to protect his family. RIP brother. And my deepest condolences to the family. He's not gone, he's simply changed form. He's still very much present with you, this I promise. Be blessed. 🕯️🕯️🕯️
A rule to remember, if and when one finds themselves in this situation, is to stay with your vehicle. Stay with your vehicle. Learned that when I was caught in a blizzard in Illinois in the mid 70s. I debated as to whether I should walk into town. Decided to stay in my VW Bug. Thank God I did. A young couple drove by and saw my VW Bug. They went down the rode but turned around to come back to my car. They told me that they had a "feeling" that someone was in the VW Bug and that they should check it out. I thank the Lord for sending that couple to rescue me. Stay in your vehicle.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m from FL and have never really had to think about this kind of situation. But I was wondering if anyone had any information about what wisdom could be gleaned from someone who has been in a situation like this. It all seems so hopeless. But this dad truly heroically did everything he could and I hope this is a comfort to all who knew him.
Staying with his vehicle is how Dewit Finnly (mentioned at 11:22 in this video) died! He stayed with his vehicle - for 9 weeks, and died of starvation. Staying with your vehicle is very often the right choice, but not always. In the wilderness, it’s not wise to get locked into only one option when stranded. Every situation has to analyzed for its own circumstances.
Same with a hiker woman I heard a story on from Mr. ballens videos. She got lost in the woods. Made camp for weeks and starved. Later found out she was like 2 miles from civilization. I've heard a cpl stories like this now so, Like the above person said; " each situation needs to be weighed differently."
I'm sure some people stay with the vehicle and die. The issue is planning your trip well: supplies, communications, navigation, weather. Poor planning.
I recall this story, and my heart goes out to the children and wife of James Kim, who gave everything for them. I think the lesson learned here is the old girl scout saying, "Be Prepared". Mother Nature has her own agenda.
We live near the Cal/Ore border and have travelled Bear Camp Road many times during the summer as a way to arrive to Gold Beach, OR. It is a beautiful journey. My husband saw a large black wolf one time. However, if a person is unfamiliar with the area and doesn’t understand the dangers of remote mountain roads especially during the snows, it is indeed a place of peril. Sad story, indeed 😢
James is a fool. He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
I remember this story it was all over the news. I lived in sf at that time and my husband and I was going to Tahoe for the weekend but decided to cancel due to snowstorm. When I heard what happened to that family, I had a feeling he wasnt going to make it, the weather was extremely bad that week.
Kyle, once again you did an outstanding job telling this story! I know this story well. When I first got into traveling the PNW and in the winter especially my Dad told me this story over and over again. James gave the ultimate sacrifice for his wife and two daughters. Whenever I’m traveling through Oregon I always think about the Kim family! I just traveled through Washington, Oregon to get to California to see my family for the Holidays. Every time I hit the pass I say a prayer for James and his family. I say a prayer for myself and my dog who travels with me. It is ingrained into my mind, heart and soul what James did for his Katie and his two daughters. There’s a pretty long stretch where you have no cell service, no gas stations, no towns just pitch Black Forest with tons of fog and snow. I time my trips and plan accordingly because of the Kim’s. I wish wholeheartedly their situation would have turned out differently! I still get the chills hearing this awful story but I will say that James is a hero. He made the ultimate sacrifice for the three people he loved and cared for the most in the world. It’s so unbelievably sad what happened to them and how Katie must relive this loss every day. I’ve watched this story be told many times on RUclips and Podcasts but you tell it in such a way that makes us remember James and what he went through for his family and what Katie did to keep her daughters as fade as possible and keep them alive. You’re an amazing person thank you for sharing the Kim story in a way I’ve never heard it be told. Rest in peace James ❤
I live in Oakridge OR, and I am retired USFS. I remember their story. My belief is that they made so many mistakes that lead up to what happened. 1. Snow, save yourself and go back. 2. Cellphones, there is no service, your maps, phone, all will not help you. So, get good paper map that shows detailed roads. Find out the road conditions. Stop at the Forest Service Ranger Station. Many smart people lack common sense, I have found people who are lost, and assisted them. Remember, Your cellphone will not work, and you not be able to help yourself.
i remember this happening as the other guy in the video clip at the beginning, Patrick Norton, and others from Tech TV that I follow to this day had posted that James and his family were missing. What makes this even more tragic, if I recall correctly, there were cabins just a couple of miles from where Kati and the girls were found. Great job covering this. Hope you're having a Very Merry Christmas Brother🎄
When driving in Oregon on a summer vacation one of the roads we had traveled out on was closed coming back due to a rock slide. We were force to take a VERY rural route to get back, and it was over an hours extra drive. The detour was a two lane road, but extremely windy and narrow, with large trucks traveling the opposite direction of us that at times almost ran us off the road! I was terrified that whole detour, and this was in the SUMMER! Rural Oregon roads are no joke, and keeping survival gear in your vehicle at all times is the safest option.
James is a fool. He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
Originally from Pennsylvania, living in Utah now. What an amazing selfless father and husband. It's so sad that he didn't make it. I'm glad the girls were rescued. What I don't understand is how SAR people who searched Bear Camp Rd didn't notice the tire tracks going down the open logging road and think to look there. For crying out loud, a helicopter pilot noticed the tracks!
Everyone should learn how to read a map.We've camped in areas without cell service, so I always carry paper atlases for the area (and a compass and reflective blanket). Intuitively, if you are lost and trying to find civilization, at that intersection, take the paved road with the painted lines!! And why waste gas heating the car when you could be getting back to the main road? Lots of us drive in the dark in the snow...creep along if you have to, but get there.
I'm not familiar with that freeway, but turning around may have been impossible if the opposite lanes didn't comprise one stretch of pavement; or potentially, a dangerous maneuver depending on traffic.
@@Eclecticompany it’s divided in sections and sometimes busy but there are frequent exits to turn around at. I think they drove so far past the last coast exit that they didn’t want to backtrack. They were just trying to save time.
I'm from Portland, Vic, Australia. I always have so much appreciation for how respectfully you cover cases like this and it's absolutely what keeps me coming back.
I live rural BC in Canada. We live IN the back deep woods with lots and lots of old logging roads. We would NEVER go off on a side or back road in the winter if it was clear the road was not being plowed. It would be impossible to get far but to try would be stupid. Who the hell takes unmaintained back roads in the winter omfg whyyyyy I’m so very sad for them :( Such a terrible terrible choice :(
James is a fool. He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
I'm literally sitting at the nurses' station across from the room that Katie and her girls were in after they were rescued. I just remember feeling so sad for them and thinking that one mom should not have to go through such loss and pain. It was so crazy coming to work the next few days seeing all the National news people in the parking lot. I myself have taken that road with my family over Mother's Day weekend, and we went for miles and miles and just basically hit a wall of snow. It happened so quickly that it was hard to even comprehend. We turned around, of course. But this was May, and we felt confident we could make it over. I'm so sad they had no idea what lay ahead.
Hi Kyle! I'm a woman in my 40s in Québec, and originally from BC, Canada. I remember this story and it is so haunting. 😢 Growing up in BC, we had a lot of roads that were either logging roads (and not really suitable for a car), or were dangerous depending on the season, and it wasn't unheard of for unprepared tourists or hikers to underestimate the wilderness and get into serious trouble. The Kims went through a total nightmare and my heart breaks for them every time I think of their ordeal. They really did try to make the right decisions and had terrible luck or missed the context we can easily see in hindsight. Thank you for always covering stories with genuine compassion, with effort to understand their context, and with takeaway lessons when applicable. Love your channel!
People are always looking for someone to blame in situations like these, but the reality is that sometimes it’s just a series of decisions made with incomplete information - you can’t know what you don’t know. This poor family was from the city, they weren’t out looking for adventure and had no reason to be “prepared” for one. They also aren’t from Oregon (I’ve lived in Central Oregon for 20 years) and so it’s completely understandable that they wouldn’t know that it’s not reliable to just pick a road on a map to cross the mountains when you miss one of the major maintained roadways - especially in the winter. This whole story is just really sad. It might make people feel self-righteous to throw blame around, but it doesn’t change anything and just makes them look like a jerk.
It is possible to pick out all of the possible “mistakes” in a story, without being cruel to the people involved. Humans are exceptionally stupid, and stories are a massive part of how we learn. We see other human make mistake, try doing the same thing, also fail, and some other human that was just watching scampers off, tells other humans, and those humans decide whether or not to do the “mistake” themselves. Because of stories like this one, some humans thought it would be prudent to sharpen their map reading skills, throw a few extra survival items in their pack or vehicle “in case”, learn a bit about where they will be traveling to and through before starting their journey, and tons more valuable information that they wouldn’t have thought to learn without a “good reason”. Mistakes, mishaps, and misfortunes can befall anyone at anytime, but you might as well be pissing on corpses if you don’t use that as a learning opportunity.
@ I don’t disagree, but learning from mistakes is not the same thing as pointing fingers, passing judgement, assigning fault, or placing blame. The former is done to learn, all of the latter is done to make people feel superior. Intent matters.
@ Agreed! But, humans are likely always going to be very slow and inefficient learners. For some of us dum-dums, the closest we get to learning a lesson is making fun of another person’s failure. Yeah, you technically realized that there was something valuable to be learned, but failed miserably at learning said valuable lesson. It would be great if we could just extract the data without being jerks, but that’s not how the vast majority of people think. Monkey sees other monkey fall from branch, laughs at fallen monkey, monkey says “hold my beer”, monkey proceeds to fail in an almost identical way, then rinse & repeat.
Oregonian here! Well at least the first 17 years of my 50+ year life. I was born in Gold Beach!!! I lived in Brookings 27 miles from Gold Beach until I was 8! Then we moved to Roseburg until i was 17. Interstate 5 is treacherous with mountains on one side of the road and cliffs on the other! Plus it was not straight it was constantly curving especially from Brookings to Grants Pass where my grandparents lived. I ALWAYS got car sick! Sorry Mom! I can't imagine growing up anywhere better! We would ride our motorcycles in the mountains all day until dusk when we had to be home! I've lived in Florida since I was almost 18 so I'm now a converted Floridian!
I am soon to be 63 years old next month in January and I live in Boulder, Wyoming. You r so right Kim did the ultimate thing for his family. It's so sad. Passed away. But then on the other hand, it's wonderful that his wife and two children lived.
James is a fool. He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
From Pennsylvania. I remember when this happened, and tbh, I couldn't even watch this vid. I gave it a Like bc I love your channel and how ethically you cover these stories. But I followed this story as it was happening, and I was so upset by it that I cannot watch. This man loved his family so much. What a tragic ending.
i live in oregon!!!!!! an hour from the beach and an hour from Portland!! been here 22 years from San Francisco area :) loooove this channel! u deserve all the recognition!!
This is a prime example of why here in idaho we replaced the giant orange signs with flashing lights that said "caution winter travel extremely dangerous" or similar that they clearly passed multiple times as you can see in the Google maps pictures with "continue at your own risk no search and rescue beyond this point" since we got tired of wasting so much of our taxes on things common sense would tell you not to do. Natural selection is very real here 😅😂
Im from Boise, Idaho and I love your videos! Hiking and camping are big staples of our state (not just potatos). We have so many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs to play in, and lots of mountains to climb! I really appreciate that you give back to Charities and Search and Rescue teams. It only takes a little to make a big difference in this world. Thanks for all you do! ❤
Proud Arkansawyer! And I already know how this story ends because it's considered a textbook example of what not to do in many survival communities. It's on my mind every time I head into Boston Mountains.
I'm from Oregon. I actually live very close to exit 119. Very familiar with that exit. I did a double take when I saw the picture because it was so familiar and had to google to make sure.
I love the stories you tell Kyle thanks for making my day a little easier I am a disabled Grandma who is very young for her age even though I'm only 61 I feel sometimes like I'm 90 but staying at home and listening to your stories gets me through some pretty long monotonous days so thank you so much for that you are a good storyteller! I'm from Arizona but I live in North Carolina and have for the last 10 years not really wanting to we have dreams of going back to Arizona but my husband and I are too disabled to make the move so anyway thanks again for all the great stories even though they are tragic my heart goes out to the families
I am German, started watching while I was still living in Hong Kong and now watching from the Netherlands! Really enjoy all your videos! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
I am 73 and a life long Oregon resident. Memorial Day weekend about 1977 a group of friends and I floated the Rogue River roughly from Galice to Agness in rubber rafts we rented from the Oregon State University Outdoor Program. We took out at a place called Illahe landing not far from Agness and decided that negotiating a maze of logging roads was the best way back to I-5. Even in late May we pondered the possibility of encountering late season snow, but it was warm and sunny. Even under favorable conditions it was not an easy drive. When I heard about the missing Kim family in 2006 I was by then the father of young children. I followed the developments intently and understood immediately that James Kim's decision to depart on foot was what any father would try to do under the circumstances and I consider him a hero for what he attempted. I always try to learn something from these tragedies and, among other things, carry a box in my Jeep when I travel very far from home packed with survival stuff that would allow me to construct a shelter, melt snow, cook food, etc. Some people make fun of me for this, but I am undeterred. I am thinking of labelling it the James Kim Box.
That is super cool. I am going to name my car stuff that as well.
Ive been out on that southern route between crescent city and grants pass. Ive driven the back roads of the Lost Coast in NorCal many times. Some of those tiny little roads wind slowly through the mountains and you cant do more than 5 to 10 mph. They can be rough, washed out, and some of them are narrow tracks on the edges of deep ravines barely wide enough to get a midsize car through. Definitely an adventure that you need to be prepared for. There are truly some magical places out there, though.
That’s nice of you , I think everyone should have a James Kim box in their car for survival!!!
na na I also always have stuff like extra blankets , life straws and flint in my car for me and my babies , just in case, its better have it and not need it than need it and not have shit and be shit outta luck ya know, smart is always the way to go
😊
I overheard my wife listening to this story and instantly knew as soon as I heard “Kim family,” “CNET,” and”Oregon” who the story was about. I was in the Oregon national guard unit that sent the helicopters who lifted the family out and found James Kim. It was one of the happiest and saddest search and rescue missions I remember from my 8 years with that unit.
Thank you for your service. You are one of our heroes out there in the dark. Someone hardly ever thinks about until they NEED you for life or death operations like this one was. Thank you for your service and for being a super hero of sorts. 💕🌎💕
That's awesome. Thank you for your service.
I knew too, but only because mrballen did this same story about 3 years ago.... And while this creator is good..... Hes not mr ballen.... Not even lil ballen or boy ballen level.... Interesting to hear a second perspective though and some details that were missed.
What about the people that didn’t close the gate? They have some reel fault here, Not the family at all.
Mr. Ballen said a rescue helicopter spotted James' footprints in the snow and followed them to the car, which is how his family was found and saved. This guy didn't mention that detail. Is this true? Did James save his family by making that trail in the snow? I'm hoping you'll know since you were there and know this story first hand.
James is a hero I don't think people realize how hard 16 miles are in the snow and un suited for the cold wilderness in dress ....already starving ...I heard another person cover this and he said the first helicopter pilot followed James footprints back too the car and that's how they found the girls Soo he did actually save them!!!
Yes ... that's the story I heard too
Me too. So if that’s true, his family was saved because he left the car. He sacrificed himself as none of them would have been found if not for his trail.
James is a fool.
He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
aww that warms my heart but still breaks that he didnt make it as well
James was stupid
A sad story with a bittersweet ending. So amazing that Katie and her little girls survived the horrible ordeal but equally sad that James died bravely trying to get rescue for his family. Hope Katie and her girls are doing well and may James rest in peace.
Hello Kyle!
We’re from Sweden and some 10 years ago we flew to Seattle from Chicago, hired a car drove around the NW states (and Canada). After dropping off our daughter who travels with us for a week or so and who lives in Chicago, we drove south along the coast and suddenly decided to turn inland and head for Grants Pass. Besides we were a bit worried as we were a bit low on fuel, but off we went that evening one early Autumn evening.
The GPS hinted us about towns or villages, that when we passed them by just were scattered houses, so finally in total darkness we were on Bear Camp Rd in total darkness. My wife later told me I should be lucky for the absent light as the were drop-offs all a long and I am scare of heights. Instead I was manoeuvering the 4x4 on a narrow, winding dirt road (for most of the time), watching the fuel lamp turn on, but eventually got to our destination running on fumes in the tank.
When we told the guy at the gas station about us driving through the wilderness he just noted “You were lucky, it’s bear hunting season …”.
😱
@ I was mostly scared to be stuck with an empty tank. My wife saw all the steep sides while I was concentrating to see where the road was leading us in the darkness, but yeah, a bit scary though.
You did a solid job telling this story, Kyle. I almost didn’t watch it because I’m from Oregon and lived in the area at the time this happened. And it still haunts me. The community held its breath while they searched for the Kim family, and then searched for James. So many of us held out hope that he’d be found alive, but were heartbroken when he wasn’t. RIP James
Kyle, I have to say that has to be the most beautiful and respectful take I’ve ever heard on this story. Yes, they should have turned around; yes, they should never have kept going. But they did. And a dad did what he knew he had to do.
RIP to James, and to Penelope and Sabine - it’s obvious your dad loved you very much. ❤️❤️
Yes! …and also how he always honors and supports several rescue operations around each story. He’s definitely a class act!
Lifelong Oregonian here, now living on the coast. Oregon backcountry rules: Just because it looks like a road doesn’t mean it is a road for your use. If you must leave your car, follow the road. Only cut through the woods and follow a creek if there is no logging road. Hiking thru our thick wet brush and steep terrain is far more difficult than using the road, even if it appears to be a shorter distance. Don’t take short cuts. Take the easy way, even if it appears longer.
Sandy, OR here. If you get very far from I-5 or I-84, or Hwy 101 to a lesser extent, the population gets very sparse very quickly. We are a wild and beautiful state. Things can also go south very fast with just a simple mistake or 2. Summer or winter, the potential danger is different but equally real. Preparedness is key. My truck is stocked with MRE’s, a 5 gallon marmite of water, layers of clothing and other various gear AT ALL TIMES. Pack it in the cargo spaces and hope you never need it but know it’s always there.
This story is well known here. It’s tragic.
Your state needs more signs to prevent this. Even with gps people could still make these critical errors.
@@WarPigstheHun we're just now starting to use salt to clear the highways when it snows. that only took decades, but now you want signs too? Oregon says no; apparently our entire population would rather endure countless traffic/weather-related disasters if it means we're one step closer to employing more environmentally friendly ways of cautioning drivers than with salt and signs. cheers, an oregonian. Being a green state trumps death, duh. ;)
you had me seething at the mention of "i 84" hello you, neighbor, fellow individual who probably also cringes at the number of times we've had to hear someone call one of our bodies of water the "will-eh-met" river ... if you know you know
true Oregon because you said I-5 and I-84!. Hi neighbor! Oregon City here, but grew up outside of Astoria at the end of logging roads in one of those towns that doesn't have its own post office *gasp*
@@Sarkkumurkku I love astoria, hello goonies. I love oregon city, my mom lives off of mcloughlin near gladstone. I am from SE, went to h/s in milwaukie good times... sarcasm ;)
John Rachor was a franchise owner of Burger King in Medford OR. My first job late 1979/80. He was into flying and flew me to an event in Portland 1981. I spoke with him about this very story a few years ago and thanked him for his unpaid service in S&R he offered. He said "that's what I do". Good man.
I'm from FNQ, Australia. Every year around this time, we have at least one tourist die at one of our notorious swimming holes/waterfalls. Check out Babinda boulders, devils pool. There's an aboriginal legend where a young woman named Oolana threw herself off the rocks and died because she wasn't allowed to be with her lover from a different tribe. She is now said to haunt there and goes after mainly men. There have been 21 deaths (nearly all tourists) and 20 of those are men. There is a logical reason why devils pool is so dangerous and it has something to do with how the boulders are formed and the current. Us locals will never go near devils pool and there are plenty of warning signs posted. We have 3 notorious but beautiful swimming holes/waterfalls, all with signs everywhere but still tourists don't heed the warnings. Literally every year someone dies. It's so heartbreaking every time.
Love your work Kyle! Merry Christmas eve 🎄🎅
Hi up there Neighbour from Melbourne , have a great day 💙
I am snuggled inbetween you both in outback NSW!
I'm right in the Sydney city 5min on bus I hate it noise smell humidity. I'd love the rural area. Just had no opportunities. Boo hoo! To me lol...enjoy the holidays guys...🇦🇺
I wonder if it is mostly men because men are usually more prone to risk taking. They are also usually stronger and heavier - which would make them plunge further into the water at a faster pace. Once they are too far in, it's harder to get out?
Yeah and never go down a road you don't know
James is definitely a hero imho. There is no greater love than one who lays down his life for his family🥹💔❤️
A hero who caused all his own problems is not a hero, he is a fool.
@@EthanDurant Only a fool would say what you said - YOU are the fool and a coward. James put his body where his mouth was and helped to rescue his family. How is that foolish? Have you ever been in his situation? Probably not, due to your condemnation which is wholly unnecessary and unwarranted among other things.
Hi Kyle! I currently live in Florida , but I spent the first 39 years of my life in Connecticut. I know one thing from experience: never take a "back road' during the winter, even if it's not snowing. Prayers for this family and especially the dad.
Heck you have to be careful taking some highways. I was on a trip to visit the in laws back when I was married and it looked like all I had to do was get on one highway and it was a straight shot 99% of the way.... And it was a straight shot but about halfway into the trip that highway went from 4 lanes to two lanes with almost nothing around. Literally driving through forest seeing the occasional logging truck, praying I would see a gas station before my tank ran out. Once I learned where the gas stations were I loved taking that road to the in laws but the first trip was nerve wracking.
I'm a 48yo legal immigrant from Venezuela. My wife and I are now citizens living in Florida.
We home school our daughter (15yo) and we all love your channel.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
A belated welcome to you and your family ! And fantastic for your daughter .
Glad you are legal! Merry Christmas!
Heck ya! Belated welcome to the USA I hope you enjoy FL and create an amazing life.
BT in Miami. Love these stories. Everglades and Big Cypress hiker, elsewhere when possible.
nice !! I may have been born in Brooklyn and grew up in New York City all my life, but WE ALL CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE unless you are Native American/Indigenous people from thousands of years ago !!! Think Mayflower and Jamestown (both from England, 1600's). So my relatives from Italy, Germany, and more in late 1800's. WELCOME and Merry Christmas too !
Bear Camp Road requires caution at all times. Do not enter, don't pass go if you are on a casual day trip. It requires proper vehicle, equipment, supplies. Even now. No one is invincible, no vehicle is invincible. One thing about the Oregon outback is the lack of phone signal, deep canyons, high mountains, no phone signals.
Reminds me of the old song by CW McCall called black bear road. It looked like a short cut through the mountains and when the got to the road it had a sign that said "you don't have to be crazy to drive this road but it helps" and the song ends with their jeep going over a cliff while the were having a picnic lunch.
Yeah... I remember as a child , being taken hunting, and we were in central Oregon... I don't know the roads, but the parental units thought they would take the bronco on a narrow path, with a big bottomless drop cause their logging buddy told them they saw dear...then we found the track had washed away. Can't turn around.,,my parents decided we would go back and up the side. But that bronco wasn't a climber, so we just ended up upsidedown, popping the windows, stuck.
But we were lucky, cause it was fall weather, maybe 6 inches of snow, but we didn't go over the edge, thank the gods🎉 and his logging buddy was only a few hours away, and knew the area. Used the CB. But the ride home was cold and windy...6 hours with popped windows. They rolled that bronco several more times, on safer terr
I hate hunting, fishing, any natural bodies of water.... I hate the idea of being out in any outback, unpopulated nature thanks to them.
But boy can I shoot straight and drive rough snowy roads😂.
Cause the parents of course drank hunting.
Ah the American way in the 70s 😂😂😂😂😂😂!!!
What a hero James is it is so heartbreaking that he did not survive. RIP good man. I wish there were more fathers like him on this earth.
That is so sad that James perished and so close to being rescued. Thankfully, his wife and daughters will keep him alive in their hearts and memories.
Until this year, I have had a kind of "what if?" survivor's guilt about this.
2 days before the Kims went down Bear Camp Road, I almost did too.
I had driven down to Central point to pick up a puppy, and was continuing on to Port Orford. I had a flip phone, Mapquest printouts, and a Rand-McNally Oregon Atlas. I was driving a 1996 Ford Bronco and carrying chains, food, and water - with 2 adult dogs as well as the puppy (three dog night warm), and I was used to wilderness adventures.
My breeder asked about my plans, and when I told her, she didn't say "don't." She did say "Hmmmm. Call me when you get there, okay?"
That was enough to let doubt creep in -- when I stopped to gas up in Grant's Pass, I pulled out my atlas and asked the attendant about the road. He straight up told me "You are not going to save any time going that way. You are WAY better off going down I-5 into California, and coming back up the coast."
So I did. It was snowing in the redwoods on I-5, and hairy enough on the freeway that I was glad I hadn't taken the other way. I made it safely to Port Orford, and honestly don't remember at what point I heard about the Kims.
As soon as I did though, the "what if I had taken that road" plagued me.
What if I had gotten stuck? My breeder would have sent out a search party the next day. Maybe if that had happened, the Kims would never have taken that road. Maybe they still would have, but would have encountered searchers and been turned back. Maybe they would have encountered ME.
What if I hadn't gotten stuck though? Maybe the road would have been clear enough that I made it all the way through, and nothing would have changed at all.
What If I had gotten stuck, and found quickly, and it changed nothing anyway?
This year I found out from the spouse of an LE searcher that someone closed that gate during the search, so no one looked down that road. It is unclear why, especially in light of the tire tracks.
God bless that man, and everything he did to try to save his family.
Wow that’s incredible you where so closely connected to this tragedy. I’m sorry you had to deal with survivors guilt all these years.
My brother lives off Hwy 199, which runs from Grants Pass, OR to the coastal town of Crescent City, CA, the northern most town in CA before you head back up into OR. While it may have seemed to be an extra long drive to then have to loop back up to get to their destination, it is a road that is maintained during inclement weather, dotted with small communities along the way where you can stop for food, gas, etc. It’s also a sure-shot to the coast. What a shame they didn’t just stay on that major road.
They could have taken Hwy42 from Winston/Roseburg to Bandon and then south on 101 40 miles to Gold Beach. Super easy, super safe with gas stations, restaurants and tire shops once you get into Myrtle Point
Yeah you gotta be careful about that stuff. When I first got married to my ex wife we went to visit the in laws. My in laws always took the interstate but I was looking at the map and saw one highway that ran right by where I lived was a straight shot to the town next to theirs. So I decided to go that way. I got on the very busy 4 lane highway and headed out. And about halfway there that well maintained 4 lane road suddenly changed to a 2 lane back road through the middle of the wilderness. An I mean that literally. I passed through a town and it dropped to two lanes as soon as you left that town. I spent the second half of the drive surrounded by Forest seeing the occasional logging truck and praying to see a gas station when I needed one. Once I learned where the stations were (basically as long as you filled up when it switched to 2 lane you could make it to a tiny town with a gas station and then you could fill up and you were maybe 30 minutes from civilization) I loved driving that road way and having zero traffic for half the trip but the first time was a nail biter.
This reminds me of the Stolpa family. The married couple that was in the army, who was visiting family in California for Christmas. They too were in Oregon when they got lost and what’s worse is that they had a newborn baby with them. The husband had to leave his wife and newborn in a shelter as he walked for many miles until he found a guy driving a snowplow. The rescue team had to use snowmobiles to locate the wife and the newborn by the directions the husband gave them. they all lived but had to get parts of their feet amputated because of the frostbite . It is an amazing story.
The Stolpas did not get lost in Oregon. They got lost in Modoc County in California near the Nevada border.
@@colleendaniels6409 thank you for the correction. Still an amazing story.
Hello, I'm watching from Poland. Specifically from Poznań. I love your videos. Usually I play them when I clean my apartment or when cooking food. Merry Christmas everyone
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from Phoenix, Arizona.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Warsaw, Poland here :)
Awesome.. I love my polish heritage here in Michigan 🇵🇱
I’m from the Oregon coast. I remember this case. I felt so sad that the father, who was so brave to go out in the freezing cold to save his family and lost his life. Unfortunately, these seasonal roads have been hazardous for many people over the years. My heart goes out to the family for their loss.
This is your warning: if you are not sure where you are, go back until you find a place that you actualy recognise.
or !! stay in place to make it easier for search and rescue finders to clear every area of their search grid
Absolutely, this rule has kept me from serious trouble. Sad how many times people have tried to avoid going backwards on a route, only to end up in far worse shape
This just helped me in Home Depot. Thank you
@@aazhie Ooh that is good advice I think.
For some that might be home.
Portland, Oregon, here. I had to stop this video several times to take a break because I remember this happening in real time. I also have two daughters a similar age to the Kim children and we did a lot of road trips, day trips and camping in the PNW. You really summed it up with the intro about two separate endings. This still haunts me every time I hear about it again.
I’m old enough to know this story heart wrenching then and now. He was definitely a true hero and it’s amazing that his family survived. Kudos to the helicopter pilot who went looking for this family on his own.
Watching from Calgary, Alberta! I love the way you tell these stories, Kyle. You balance compassion and teaching lessons so well. I'm incredibly sad for this family and while I had a lot of "how did this happen?!" thoughts early on in the video, I feel like those questions aren't that important in the end. Or maybe, the questions are important to help others avoid the same fate, but it doesn't make any difference when it comes to a situation that already happened. These parents fought so hard to keep their girls alive, and that's what should be remembered in the end.
I so remember this story and it just made me so incredibly sad!!😢
You told the story so extremely well Kyle, even adding more information than I had heard before! And photos! Well done!
Being from Wyoming, I understand remoteness and very small "towns." Such a sad story- what a terrible position to find one's self in, being totally unprepared and apparently ignorant of the danger in the situation until it was too late. In the end, James gave everything he had to save his family.
Yeah, I literally just got chills when Kyle described the route this couple was going to take. I was down in this area in the spring hiking the Rogue River Trail. These roads are very remote and not passable if there’s snow.
Northwest gal here. Lived in Oregon for 22 years, 20 of those years in Eugene. Locals followed this tragic story closely while it was unfolding.
I hope James' sacrifice is some comfort to his children. Tragic story. Really enjoy the channel and the effort you put into bringing the stories to life while honoring those that have been lost. Indianapolis resident here, btw.
James is a fool.
He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
@@OldGuy555 how many times did you copy/paste this comment?
@@WouldntULikeToKnow. How many people said James was a hero?
As a former map user (yes, I'm that old), maps as a rule didn't include single lane dirt roads. Condolences to his family and friends. As a father, yes indeed you will do whatever it takes to save your family.
For off-road travels nowadays we have GPS technology and cell phones (along with maps) to help us navigate the roads less traveled.
Hey Kyle, I’m in Yorkshire, England. My Cousin used to live in Portland and I visited her about 20 years ago -went to Mount Hood, Multnamah , Tillamook, and Gold beac! Beautiful country.wondeful people. Love listening to you ❤
I’m from Southern Utah. This story is heartbreaking but like you said, happy at the same time knowing his family survived. I think we all forget how hard traveling was before the internet on our phones!
I'm watching your so well researched videos from Hamburg, Germany 😊 Merci !! Happy Holidays to everyone ♥️
Thank you for also spreading awareness - while always beeing respectful and honoring towards those, who suffered and those, who even lost their lifes.. through these frequently so very devasting, oppressive, sad stories..
Schöne Grüße aus Hannover ❤️
MERRY CHRISTMAS and hopes for a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
You too ❤🎄🎅🏻❣️
This story hit home, hard. The Kim’s were locals and Jims loss was devastating to everyone in Tech in the Bay Area, young families, relatives, neighbors, etc… it was like a nightmare come to life. I never heard an ill word about him, may his family be comforted by his memories.
SF Native, Redwood City, CA currently. Happy Holidays to everyone 🎄🕎🍌🍎🍇🌟❣️
Schöne Grüsse aus Hamburg St.Pauli und frohe Weihnachten!
This is SO very sad. Mr. Kim was a 100% bonified hero. May his 3 ladies continue through their lives to a place of eventual joy & happiness.
I am from Portland, Oregon! I absolutely remember when this happened. It was so sad! What a beautiful family; and what a horrible tragedy.
Love you, Kyle! Or… Perhaps I should say, “I hate you, Kyle“. Thanks for all your hard work! You’ll be at 1 million subscribers before you know it.
Hey Portland, I'm from California but went to school near Roseberg don't they call those roads logging roads? I was going to say everyone knew to stay off logging roads during winter.
From Portland as well... I remember this also, very sad.
They do call them “logging roads”. Unfortunately, and Kyle may have mentioned this but I don’t recall, James wasn’t totally aware of this and he was using Mapquest and looking at a paper map. Old school paper maps (think Thomas Guide) are notorious for not clearly marking logging roads or roads that might be closed seasonally. On paper maps they look like regular roads; it’s unclear on the map if they are impassable.
I am from Germany, I can not Imagine that there are roads that lead into death in the US. That ist so scary to me. In Germany you will always return home save If you go anywhere by car (of course If you dont get into an accident).
Hey fellow German.
Yes you’re right. You can not walk a km in a straight line almost anywhere without crossing a road, trail or path.
LOL! Here in Tennessee we have thousands of acres of forest. My husband jokes that Tennessee has more trees than people. There are plenty of places where you can't get phone service, so you need to stick to main roads or get terrain maps--should you decide to go exploring.
You don't always know what type of person you will run into, either. I think mountain communities can be a bit clannish. Plus some odd groups of folks create their own lives out there. (Or compounds, in some cases.)
I own an off-road vehicle, but I hope I never go off-road.
The most off-road I want to go is running off the end of the driveway into the ditch--and I don't really want to do that.
I live vicariously through Kyle, mountain climbing videos, and caving adventures. I count on the rest of you to create these great stories!
I'm a US citizen who lived in Germany for a few years. It is a beautiful country! My husband and I also had the privilege of driving across the United States and it's mind-blowing how enormous this country actually is.
Wish I could move back to Germany, though! It's a much nicer way of living.
The west has taste wilderness areas, but even in the east are areas you could get lost and snowed into if you took a logging road.
The reality is weather ultimately played a huge role in this as the shear amout of snow is a big part of whythry dintvget tired around properly ( as then even out of gas they would have been found on bear rd)
Oregon - I lived down in southern Oregon at the time this story and remember this sad news. The gas attendant was probably extremely confused because locals would have taken 199 south ro 101 to get to Gold Beach - year round. There are also sooooo many logging road gates in Oregon for workers to close that they easily simply florgot which one road was missed. A very sad story in general.
@@bethanyveil2751 fellow Oregonian here who grew up at the end of an old logging road. Agreed! There are simply too many gates and not enough workers, I don’t think it’s even a forgetting issue-
I’m from Southern Oregon, only about an hour north of Grants Pass, this story was so sad. Most people who know I-5 are aware of all the hinky roads that lead to the coast. Exit 119 leads to Winston, Oregon and HWY 42. It’s a beautiful drive that takes you to HWY 101 just North of Coos Bay. I love when people want to visit our coast, it’s the most beautiful coastline (IMO) in the US. You can always see sea lions, sometimes whales, and the overlooks are on rocky cliffs where you can see for miles. I invite EVERYONE to experience it at least once in their lives. Oregon is an absolutely gorgeous state, I’m so sorry accidents like this showcase the dangers of our logging roads and overshadow the beauty. Such a sad story.
Those logging roads in that area are terrifying, even in good weather. I will never forget my father driving our family to Happy Camp, which isn’t too far away. It must have been in the 1960s. Those logging trucks would come barreling around the sharp curves. I was sure we were going over a cliff.
Builds character...
This story takes place in my neck of the woods. I've lived in Southern Oregons Rogue Valley all of my 58 years and have traveled Bear Camp Road many times. It is a beautiful drive but not for everybody and definitely not in winter. Steep mountain ranges for miles and no amenities or other people to speak of. Such a horrible tragedy that is still talked about around here.
So, has the state finally done something serious with gates and signage?
This one troubles me. My mom knows this family.
They are nice and well to do in noe valley area. Went up north like many do in winter. But bay area people dont understand snow so well… it was tragic for this man. I wish they stayed together .
I lived in Noe Valley, and I've been in Oregon a long time. This story hit home, Californian's cannot relate to backwoods underdeveloped culture in Oregon. It's a different world here.
It’s Christmas Eve morning 2024 & I’m just chillin, binge listening to your yt channel. Thanks for all the stories you research & share. My heart goes out to the families that don’t survive wilderness due to being lost and or inexperience. What may not occur as common sense in these scenarios, listener’s are learning through other’s experiences & your advice. I love your give back idea with each true story you present.
You’re doing good work Kyle, you’re a good guy 😊
Listening to this while sweating away in my home on the beautiful Atherton Tablelands in north Queensland, Australia. A wonderful and safe Christmas to you, Kyle, and all your listeners ❤
it's been snowing here in New England, USA.
Hi, I’m from England, near London, I’ve watched you for atleast 6 months now and I binged your channel unexplainably a few days after discovering it and i’ve been going to sleep to your videos, multiple of them, most nights. Thanks bro
I love that she loved him when she saw him. I fell in love with my husband’s voice over the phone five days before our first date. We haven’t been without one another since, thank God.
I loved my husband the moment I saw him. I know that feeling well. Love at first sight--true love--is rare but real.
OMG, when I'm gone my wife has the house to herself, picks up her favorite junk food, watches whatever she wants on TV, etc. Her only real responsibility is to take the dog out (if he's not with me). So, she enjoys her time alone and I enjoy mine. It's been that was since we were married 35+ years ago...
@@penrynbigbird well we spend time apart and do just fine. I was speaking figuratively.
You sound crazy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that and if it’s worked out so far then there’s definitely not.
@@denverdubois5835 Love at first sight isn't a real thing, LUST at first sight is more accurate. You women trying to make your lust cute is bizarre to me.
The rhythm of your telling of survival stories is perfect, Kyle. I love this channel. Yours and Mr Ballen are my top two on RUclips. I’m from Melbourne, Australia.
Coming from Alaska I know that when hypothermia sets in the body thinks that it is overly hot and so the first thing people do is shed their clothes in an effort to cool down further exacerbating this condition.
Lived in Seattle, WA all my life. Got obsessed with backpacking back in 2018. I've done all of Oregon and Washington on the PCT over a couple summers. Came across your channel about 3 years ago and have probably seen almost all your vids. Keep it up man! Especially your new stories. Good move 🤙
My sister lived in Happy Camp California for a very long time its literally almost on the northern border of california i would have to fly into Medford Cali then drive 4 hours to get to her house the roads in southern oregon amd northern California are literally no joke and thats coming from someone from rugged part of Montana. The roads over there are some of the scariest roads I've ever been on i dreaded having to go anywhere over there.
Serbia. Love to watch your and mrBallen's content. I watch Steve Stockton and Outdoor disasters also. You are all great! Thank you 😊
Born and raised in Oregon, currently live in Oregon City. Thank you for saying it correctly. This was a very tragic but heroic story. May the four winds blow him safely home.
I'm from England and I've noticed loads of Americans calling it Organ. It's funny to think that I would say it correctly and they don't 😅
Born in Mill City oregon. Stayed here my whole life. These mountains definitely aren't for every flatlander that's for sure. If you don't know what you're doing don't just come up here empty-handed. This is what happens to people that are not prepared for Oregon 💔
@@terrikeentk so true..oregonians are prepared for this mountain, I've driven it multiple times. We don't call it Bipoloregon for nothing.. always be prepared for boots or flip flops. 😁
Hi sort-of neighbor!
@@cherylcampbell9369 hello 👋 ☺️
James was a damn hero, he stepped up as a man and tried to protect his family. RIP brother. And my deepest condolences to the family. He's not gone, he's simply changed form. He's still very much present with you, this I promise. Be blessed. 🕯️🕯️🕯️
A rule to remember, if and when one finds themselves in this situation, is to stay with your vehicle. Stay with your vehicle. Learned that when I was caught in a blizzard in Illinois in the mid 70s. I debated as to whether I should walk into town. Decided to stay in my VW Bug. Thank God I did. A young couple drove by and saw my VW Bug. They went down the rode but turned around to come back to my car. They told me that they had a "feeling" that someone was in the VW Bug and that they should check it out. I thank the Lord for sending that couple to rescue me. Stay in your vehicle.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m from FL and have never really had to think about this kind of situation. But I was wondering if anyone had any information about what wisdom could be gleaned from someone who has been in a situation like this. It all seems so hopeless. But this dad truly heroically did everything he could and I hope this is a comfort to all who knew him.
Staying with his vehicle is how Dewit Finnly (mentioned at 11:22 in this video) died! He stayed with his vehicle - for 9 weeks, and died of starvation. Staying with your vehicle is very often the right choice, but not always. In the wilderness, it’s not wise to get locked into only one option when stranded. Every situation has to analyzed for its own circumstances.
Same with a hiker woman I heard a story on from Mr. ballens videos. She got lost in the woods. Made camp for weeks and starved. Later found out she was like 2 miles from civilization. I've heard a cpl stories like this now so, Like the above person said; " each situation needs to be weighed differently."
@@ericbertoch673 true, id say it depends on a multitude of factors whether its smart to stay or leave the car
I'm sure some people stay with the vehicle and die. The issue is planning your trip well: supplies, communications, navigation, weather. Poor planning.
I'm from Iceland but live in Finland. I love watching your videos, you are an excellent storyteller 😊
Merry Christmas to all! Greetings from Salzburg/Austria!
I recall this story, and my heart goes out to the children and wife of James Kim, who gave everything for them. I think the lesson learned here is the old girl scout saying, "Be Prepared". Mother Nature has her own agenda.
Merry Christmas from Scotland. Have a good one Kyle :)
We live near the Cal/Ore border and have travelled Bear Camp Road many times during the summer as a way to arrive to Gold Beach, OR. It is a beautiful journey. My husband saw a large black wolf one time. However, if a person is unfamiliar with the area and doesn’t understand the dangers of remote mountain roads especially during the snows, it is indeed a place of peril. Sad story, indeed 😢
This story made me cry. Huge admiration for James Kim. And prayers for this beautiful family.
James is a fool.
He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
When I hear stories like these I will just go hiking in my room watching hiking videos 😂😂😂😂😂safe from any real danger 😮
Finland. we have penguins and polar bears here. and ofc santa claus :)
Oops, the rest of the world might believe yöu…
Is this relevant?
Your really growing on me with these stories...Keep on keeping on..love it.
I remember this story it was all over the news. I lived in sf at that time and my husband and I was going to Tahoe for the weekend but decided to cancel due to snowstorm. When I heard what happened to that family, I had a feeling he wasnt going to make it, the weather was extremely bad that week.
Kyle, once again you did an outstanding job telling this story! I know this story well. When I first got into traveling the PNW and in the winter especially my Dad told me this story over and over again. James gave the ultimate sacrifice for his wife and two daughters. Whenever I’m traveling through Oregon I always think about the Kim family! I just traveled through Washington, Oregon to get to California to see my family for the Holidays.
Every time I hit the pass I say a prayer for James and his family. I say a prayer for myself and my dog who travels with me. It is ingrained into my mind, heart and soul what James did for his Katie and his two daughters. There’s a pretty long stretch where you have no cell service, no gas stations, no towns just pitch Black Forest with tons of fog and snow. I time my trips and plan accordingly because of the Kim’s. I wish wholeheartedly their situation would have turned out differently! I still get the chills hearing this awful story but I will say that James is a hero. He made the ultimate sacrifice for the three people he loved and cared for the most in the world. It’s so unbelievably sad what happened to them and how Katie must relive this loss every day. I’ve watched this story be told many times on RUclips and Podcasts but you tell it in such a way that makes us remember James and what he went through for his family and what Katie did to keep her daughters as fade as possible and keep them alive. You’re an amazing person thank you for sharing the Kim story in a way I’ve never heard it be told. Rest in peace James ❤
Merry Christmas from Rhode Island! Not a lot of wilderness left here, so really enjoy your videos!
I live in Oakridge OR, and I am retired USFS. I remember their story. My belief is that they made so many mistakes that lead up to what happened. 1. Snow, save yourself and go back. 2. Cellphones, there is no service, your maps, phone, all will not help you. So, get good paper map that shows detailed roads. Find out the road conditions. Stop at the Forest Service Ranger Station. Many smart people lack common sense, I have found people who are lost, and assisted them. Remember, Your cellphone will not work, and you not be able to help yourself.
i remember this happening as the other guy in the video clip at the beginning, Patrick Norton, and others from Tech TV that I follow to this day had posted that James and his family were missing.
What makes this even more tragic, if I recall correctly, there were cabins just a couple of miles from where Kati and the girls were found.
Great job covering this.
Hope you're having a Very Merry Christmas Brother🎄
When driving in Oregon on a summer vacation one of the roads we had traveled out on was closed coming back due to a rock slide. We were force to take a VERY rural route to get back, and it was over an hours extra drive. The detour was a two lane road, but extremely windy and narrow, with large trucks traveling the opposite direction of us that at times almost ran us off the road! I was terrified that whole detour, and this was in the SUMMER! Rural Oregon roads are no joke, and keeping survival gear in your vehicle at all times is the safest option.
Hands down he was a REAL standup man!! R.I.P. James
James is a fool.
He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
He’s was pretty naive……he drove 23 miles down a desolate treacherous road but yea stand up man
@@OldGuy555and drove 23 miles down it lmao Darwin Award
Originally from Pennsylvania, living in Utah now.
What an amazing selfless father and husband. It's so sad that he didn't make it. I'm glad the girls were rescued.
What I don't understand is how SAR people who searched Bear Camp Rd didn't notice the tire tracks going down the open logging road and think to look there. For crying out loud, a helicopter pilot noticed the tracks!
A "simple paper map" is fine if you know how to use it! How far past their exit did they drive that they couldnt just turn around and go back to it??
Everyone should learn how to read a map.We've camped in areas without cell service, so I always carry paper atlases for the area (and a compass and reflective blanket). Intuitively, if you are lost and trying to find civilization, at that intersection, take the paved road with the painted lines!! And why waste gas heating the car when you could be getting back to the main road? Lots of us drive in the dark in the snow...creep along if you have to, but get there.
Know how to use it? It's not rocket science tbh...im sorry but what?
I'm not familiar with that freeway, but turning around may have been impossible if the opposite lanes didn't comprise one stretch of pavement; or potentially, a dangerous maneuver depending on traffic.
@@Eclecticompany it’s divided in sections and sometimes busy but there are frequent exits to turn around at. I think they drove so far past the last coast exit that they didn’t want to backtrack. They were just trying to save time.
My geography nerd brain said the same thing. Average people are scarily low map literacy.
I'm from Portland, Vic, Australia. I always have so much appreciation for how respectfully you cover cases like this and it's absolutely what keeps me coming back.
I live rural BC in Canada. We live IN the back deep woods with lots and lots of old logging roads. We would NEVER go off on a side or back road in the winter if it was clear the road was not being plowed. It would be impossible to get far but to try would be stupid. Who the hell takes unmaintained back roads in the winter omfg whyyyyy I’m so very sad for them :( Such a terrible terrible choice :(
Hi, Kaylie from Bozeman, MT here! 41, 13 years married, with three kiddos ages 11, 12, and 16. Love listening to you!
I remember reading this story years ago.
James is a LEGEND of a father and husband.
Legend.
James is a fool.
He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
I'm literally sitting at the nurses' station across from the room that Katie and her girls were in after they were rescued. I just remember feeling so sad for them and thinking that one mom should not have to go through such loss and pain. It was so crazy coming to work the next few days seeing all the National news people in the parking lot. I myself have taken that road with my family over Mother's Day weekend, and we went for miles and miles and just basically hit a wall of snow. It happened so quickly that it was hard to even comprehend. We turned around, of course. But this was May, and we felt confident we could make it over. I'm so sad they had no idea what lay ahead.
Hi Kyle! I'm a woman in my 40s in Québec, and originally from BC, Canada. I remember this story and it is so haunting. 😢 Growing up in BC, we had a lot of roads that were either logging roads (and not really suitable for a car), or were dangerous depending on the season, and it wasn't unheard of for unprepared tourists or hikers to underestimate the wilderness and get into serious trouble. The Kims went through a total nightmare and my heart breaks for them every time I think of their ordeal. They really did try to make the right decisions and had terrible luck or missed the context we can easily see in hindsight.
Thank you for always covering stories with genuine compassion, with effort to understand their context, and with takeaway lessons when applicable. Love your channel!
Watching from Indiana, USA
Been enjoying your content for 2 years.
Happy Holidays 🎉
People are always looking for someone to blame in situations like these, but the reality is that sometimes it’s just a series of decisions made with incomplete information - you can’t know what you don’t know.
This poor family was from the city, they weren’t out looking for adventure and had no reason to be “prepared” for one. They also aren’t from Oregon (I’ve lived in Central Oregon for 20 years) and so it’s completely understandable that they wouldn’t know that it’s not reliable to just pick a road on a map to cross the mountains when you miss one of the major maintained roadways - especially in the winter.
This whole story is just really sad. It might make people feel self-righteous to throw blame around, but it doesn’t change anything and just makes them look like a jerk.
It is possible to pick out all of the possible “mistakes” in a story, without being cruel to the people involved. Humans are exceptionally stupid, and stories are a massive part of how we learn. We see other human make mistake, try doing the same thing, also fail, and some other human that was just watching scampers off, tells other humans, and those humans decide whether or not to do the “mistake” themselves.
Because of stories like this one, some humans thought it would be prudent to sharpen their map reading skills, throw a few extra survival items in their pack or vehicle “in case”, learn a bit about where they will be traveling to and through before starting their journey, and tons more valuable information that they wouldn’t have thought to learn without a “good reason”. Mistakes, mishaps, and misfortunes can befall anyone at anytime, but you might as well be pissing on corpses if you don’t use that as a learning opportunity.
Also, BoringTroublemaker is a delightful username!
@ I don’t disagree, but learning from mistakes is not the same thing as pointing fingers, passing judgement, assigning fault, or placing blame. The former is done to learn, all of the latter is done to make people feel superior. Intent matters.
@ Agreed! But, humans are likely always going to be very slow and inefficient learners. For some of us dum-dums, the closest we get to learning a lesson is making fun of another person’s failure. Yeah, you technically realized that there was something valuable to be learned, but failed miserably at learning said valuable lesson. It would be great if we could just extract the data without being jerks, but that’s not how the vast majority of people think. Monkey sees other monkey fall from branch, laughs at fallen monkey, monkey says “hold my beer”, monkey proceeds to fail in an almost identical way, then rinse & repeat.
Oregonian here! Well at least the first 17 years of my 50+ year life. I was born in Gold Beach!!! I lived in Brookings 27 miles from Gold Beach until I was 8! Then we moved to Roseburg until i was 17. Interstate 5 is treacherous with mountains on one side of the road and cliffs on the other! Plus it was not straight it was constantly curving especially from Brookings to Grants Pass where my grandparents lived. I ALWAYS got car sick! Sorry Mom!
I can't imagine growing up anywhere better! We would ride our motorcycles in the mountains all day until dusk when we had to be home! I've lived in Florida since I was almost 18 so I'm now a converted Floridian!
I am soon to be 63 years old next month in January and I live in Boulder, Wyoming. You r so right Kim did the ultimate thing for his family. It's so sad. Passed away. But then on the other hand, it's wonderful that his wife and two children lived.
In the end stages of hypothermia, people think they're hot so they strip off their clothes. It just makes it worse.
Thank you for honoring him the way you did. God bless him😢
James is a fool.
He missed a turn and, rather than go back to the highway over the mountains that he missed, he chose to try a logging road in a winter storm. He was concerned about losing his deposit at he motel he had reserved for that night. He risked his family and killed himself to save the price of a motel because of a "summit fever" compulsion to maintain their tight vacation schedule.
@@OldGuy555gotta agree
@@OldGuy555 you certainly have a lot of time on your hands to keep posting this. I guess you don't have much of a life.
@@WouldntULikeToKnow. How were you harmed?
Hi Kyle!
Love the show, keep up the good work.
Since you asked so kindly, I am from Montreal, QC Canada 😊
Happy holidays to everybody! 🎉
Merry Christmas Kyle and thank you for all the great stories! I am from British Columbia, Canada
From Pennsylvania. I remember when this happened, and tbh, I couldn't even watch this vid. I gave it a Like bc I love your channel and how ethically you cover these stories. But I followed this story as it was happening, and I was so upset by it that I cannot watch. This man loved his family so much. What a tragic ending.
i live in oregon!!!!!! an hour from the beach and an hour from Portland!! been here 22 years from San Francisco area :) loooove this channel! u deserve all the recognition!!
This is a prime example of why here in idaho we replaced the giant orange signs with flashing lights that said "caution winter travel extremely dangerous" or similar that they clearly passed multiple times as you can see in the Google maps pictures with "continue at your own risk no search and rescue beyond this point" since we got tired of wasting so much of our taxes on things common sense would tell you not to do. Natural selection is very real here 😅😂
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!! ❤ from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
Merry Christmas Eve! Hope everyone has an amazing time - From South Africa
Merry Christmas Eve from Washington State 🎄☃️🥂
Im from Boise, Idaho and I love your videos! Hiking and camping are big staples of our state (not just potatos). We have so many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs to play in, and lots of mountains to climb! I really appreciate that you give back to Charities and Search and Rescue teams. It only takes a little to make a big difference in this world. Thanks for all you do! ❤
🇿🇦 Watching from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Love your channel!! 💜🎉
Proud Arkansawyer! And I already know how this story ends because it's considered a textbook example of what not to do in many survival communities. It's on my mind every time I head into Boston Mountains.
I'm from Oregon. I actually live very close to exit 119. Very familiar with that exit. I did a double take when I saw the picture because it was so familiar and had to google to make sure.
Happy Christmas everyone from the UK ❤❤❤
Rest in peace, James. Heartbreaking story. Hoping Katie and her daughters are well.
I love the stories you tell Kyle thanks for making my day a little easier I am a disabled Grandma who is very young for her age even though I'm only 61 I feel sometimes like I'm 90 but staying at home and listening to your stories gets me through some pretty long monotonous days so thank you so much for that you are a good storyteller! I'm from Arizona but I live in North Carolina and have for the last 10 years not really wanting to we have dreams of going back to Arizona but my husband and I are too disabled to make the move so anyway thanks again for all the great stories even though they are tragic my heart goes out to the families
Merry Christmas, Kyle! I live in the shadow of Mt Hood in Oregon! Love your channel!
I’ve heard this story told several times but I must say your rendition is the best yet! Merry Christmas 🎄🎅🏻
i live in Oregon and this story is why i don't try to go on the little mtn roads in winter
I am German, started watching while I was still living in Hong Kong and now watching from the Netherlands! Really enjoy all your videos! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!