I first heard about the Kims being missing last Saturday, the first day it hit the papers in Oregon. They had been missing for seven days. Being prominent people in their community no doubt helped their story to spread but they had been missing for seven days. It was another day or so before it was national news. Why did it take so long? Their friends were worried as early as Tuesday and a missing persons report was filed on Wednesday morning.
James Kim stayed with his family for seven days after they became stranded. A full week without leaving his wife and children. You’d think that would be enough time for people to notice they were missing, use modern technology and find them. It wasn’t. If search and rescue isn’t successful for people who are prominent and whose families spend money aiding the search by renting helicopters, etc. what about the average Joe?
I’m very sad that two little girls lost their father, that a wife lost her husband. I have wept and prayed for them. I’m also sad that the disappearance of a family didn’t seem to be noticed soon enough, that more wasn’t done more quickly to spread the word and mobilize people.
I, too, was shocked that it took so long to find them. It made me wonder how long my family would be missing before someone would come look for us. Is the modern family too disconnected from community for its own good? It’s great the the Kims’ friends noticed and reported it, or I can’t imagine what might have happened.
It also makes me glad that when we travel home from our parents’ homes, far away, they wait for us to call when we get home. I’ve forgotten before, and gotten chewed out. I’m glad we have that arrangement.
I read most of my news on the net, but I hadn’t even heard the story til I read it here.
They weren’t reported missing until the 29th–4 days after they were to check into their hotel in Gold Beach. Their housesitter called San Francisco authorities. Who should SF authorities contact? CHP or Oregon State Police or both? Eventually word did come down, but, unfortunately, these kinds of communications take days and not hours.
It’s frustrating and sad, but we’re on this side of the tragedy now and we should learn from it. Serina makes a good point–somebody should know where you are when you are traveling, so give them an itinerary and call frequently to check in (at least once a day).
I’m not disagreeing with you, SJ. We have the same policy when we travel. But it is possible for communication to happen in minutes, not hours or days, it does for Amber Alerts all the time. *shrug* I think many parties bear some responsibility for the delay — their friends and family for not reporting them missing sooner and the authorities in SF and Oregon for not getting on the ball sooner as well.
What I think is truly sad is the number of people I know who still haven’t even heard of this story. I too have wept for this family. Mr. Kim truly was doing what he thought was best for his wife and children and lost his life because of it. It breaks my heart. My prayers are with his wife and children.
For me, this sad story of the Kim Family has been juxtaposed with another lost persons story – only this time it was my girlfriend’s sons. She called me last Friday and they had been lost overnight. They were in terrain with over a foot of snow and the *highs* were in the 20s.
With my girlfriend I was stern: be disciplined mentally; don’t let your fears control youl. Alone I wept and pled with God to keep these boys safe. The second night came and I knew that their chance of surviving a second night was very low. At 8:00 p.m. they were found.
The lesson from their story was to tell people where they were going. It took search and rescue a day and a half to find their empty truck. They found the guys four hours after they found the truck. The story is here: http://www.localnews8.com/news/regional/4812421.html
Our small town newspaper had an follow up article and the two biggest cautions were: 1. Let people know and 2. Stay put. Poor Mr. Kim did the second one for seven days.
I think we also tend to put too much confidence in modern technology: cell phones and GPS devices. In spite of satellites it is still possible to be lost for a very long time on this planet.
Kyrie eleison.