3 of missing family rescued in Oregon

December 4th, 2006

Oregon - Three members of a family missing for more than a week were rescued Monday in a remote area or southern Oregon.

A search continued for the father, CNET senior editor James Kim.

The wife and daughters of Kim were found alive and airlifted to a local hospital, authorities announced at a press conference in Merlin, Oregon.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. PST, search-and-rescue officials were notified that a vehicle and a female waving an umbrella were spotted by a helicopter search crew near the Rogue River in the area of Bear Camp Viewpoint off Bear Camp Road, according to a statement from Oregon State Police. This location is near the Curry/Josephine County line in Josephine County.

James Kim left the car on foot two days ago to seek help and has not yet been found, the official said. A full-scale ground and air search for him continues. "He's a resourceful guy and we're hoping for the best," said Mike Weinstein, a detective with the Portland Police Bureau's Missing Persons Unit.

The family saw friends in Portland on Nov. 25 and then headed toward home after a Thanksgiving trip to the Pacific Northwest. They were last spotted at a restaurant that same day. They had reservations at a lodge, but never arrived.

During the past several days, authorities combed highways and byways using snow machines and helicopters. They also tried to track the family by tracing their credit history and cell phone signals.

The mother was found near the Rogue River in the area of Bear Camp Viewpoint. Roads through the area often are used as shortcuts to Gold Beach on the south Oregon coast, but can be impassible in the winter.

After searches in Oregon's Curry and Douglas counties, cell phone signals narrowed the search for Kim and his family back to the Bear Camp area in Josephine County, according to reports Monday.