# James Kim's body recovered



## Woody Taylor (Mar 28, 2006)

James Kim was a big journalist in the technology world. His body was recently recovered in the Oregon backwoods. Wife and two kids survived. It's a pretty sad story.

http://news.com.com/James+Kim+found+deceased/2100-1028_3-6141498.html

Interestingly, someone's used Google Earth to reconstruct his path, particular articles of clothing he dropped along the way, etc. Thought it would be of interest to you SAR folks.

http://www.layoutscene.com/james-kim-path/index.html


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

that's interesting in a sad way. i'd read some time ago that lost ppl tend to move downhill, which makes sense as it's easier going. and as soon as he left the road, it looks like he went as downhill as he could.

sad...


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

i'd really like to hear some input from SAR ppl on this: is what i "heard" true? (as far as going downhill?).

how would you deploy on a search like this? i'm just trying to learn procedure/SOP. 

i feel kind of bad just asking, in a way....


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Don't feel bad asking. What happened to Kim is a horribly sad and tragic thing. However, when we ask questions, we learn. Everybody can benefit from that! We can't reverse what happened to Kim, but we can learn from it and possibly prevent it from happening to someone else. That's reality.

I don't participate in "wilderness" SAR anymore, however, when I did, it was in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. So, I have no experience with searches of this scale. We mostly looked for lost kids/elderly/mentally impaired in cornfields or smaller tracts of woods. We also responded to water recoveries. I can only offer comments based on what I've read/studied or heard from other SAR personnel who work these types of searches.

A search of this scale takes many resources - much more than just canines and handlers. Although Kim was located relatively close to his car, think of the huge expanse of surrounding area to search (both via air and on foot).

If you'd like to learn more about lost person behavior, there's a ton of information on the web (excerpt from Analysis of Lost Person Behavior by Bill Syrotuck):
http://siriusdog.com/articles/lost-person-behavior-search-rescue-sar.htm

What else have you "heard" that you'd like to discuss?


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

ann freier said:


> how would you deploy on a search like this? i'm just trying to learn procedure/SOP.


SAR personnel should only deploy to a search when called by LE/FD or an EMA. Does that answer your question?


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

not really. what i was trying to get at was: given a start point, ie, the "found" car w/ ppl, how would a SAR team then go to work?

b/c i'm FROM northern Indiana, if it helps, a scenario based on those particular challenges would be fine; i know what you're working with there.

but, also imagine the challenges that the SAR ppl were working w/in Kim's situation, and give your educated opinion in that situation (if you feel comfortable doing so).

i'm not asking you to second guess or do the "hindsight's 20/20" deal, i'm just interested in the whole, IDK, procedure.... :?


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I think it is hard to speculate on what you would do without more details and not in regards to something that has already happened in a public forum. I have read quite a few press reports on searches we have been on and they were not alwyas very accurate.

Certainly the first thing you do is follow the plan given to you by LE or other search manager (and you would not go unless you were called) and offer help with strategy if they requested it or were open to it. As a volunteer you have the right to decline a mission you feel is dangerous to you or your crew members. Accept there may be information about the victim that will not be disclosed to you and realize you are another tool for them.

Analysis of Lost Person Behavior and Managing the Lost Person Incident and the Incident Commanders Field Handbook all have useful suggestions. 

I guess a "safe" response would be to typically start with mantrakers and k9 trailing dogs to establish a direction of travel as well as doing a hasty search to look for sign then focus resources on areas of highest probability. The good interviewer is going to extract as much as they can about the victim.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Quote Nancy:
"The good interviewer is going to extract as much as they can about the victim."

The interview. One of the most important aspects of a search!


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Good post, Nancy. Also, the IC (incident commander) is going to use all of the tools at his disposal. A search is about so much more than just the dogs. Aircraft, foot-searchers, etc. etc. are all just as important and useful as dogs.


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