Tech TV Personality James Kim | Famous Asian American Pigs | Asian American Personalities

pig's limitless devotion to loved ones is exemplified by James Kim's final days. While returning to San Francisco from their Thanksgiving holiday on Saturday, November 25, 2006, the Kims' SAAB station wagon became stuck in snow after taking a wrong turn onto a logging road in the rugged Oregon mountains. For seven days Kim and wife Kati survived on wild berries while feeding their small store of crackers and baby food to Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months.

     When their car ran out of gas, the Kims burned wood, magazines and, eventually, their car tires, to stay warm in temperatures that hovered around freezing. The cold and lack of food had already taken a toll on James when, on Saturday morning, December 2, he set out in street shoes and light clothing to traverse the steep, snow-covered terrain toward the town of Galice which he mistakenly believed to be 4 miles away. It was 13 miles away.

     Kim had no way of knowing that the outside world had begun a search for his family after co-workers had filed a missing persons report on November 30. His father, a wealthy aerospace executive, was spending a small fortune on three private helicopters hired to assist the local sheriff's search efforts. A friend's text message sent in the early morning of November 26 had caused Kim's cell phone to connect briefly with a nearby tower, ultimately helping authorities narrow their search.

     When James didn't return by Monday, Kati decided to venture out with her daughters. They had not gone far when a search helicopter pilot spotted the umbrella she was waving. The pilot had been led toward the family by footprints left in the snow by James on his trek out.

     It wasn't until two days later that James's body was found in two feet of water in Big Windy Creek. He had walked an amazing 16 miles from the car, 10.5 miles along the road and 5.5 miles past treacherous terrain along a stretch Big Windy Creek that had been declared impassable by search crews. An autopsy revealed that James had died of hypothermia two days after leaving the car. Kim wasn't the first person to die in the area. In 1995 a camper salesman from Montana had died of starvation after being snowbound for nine weeks without making an effort to walk out. His body wasn't discovered until the following May.

     James Kim was mourned not only by his family and friends but by thousands of CNET viewers who had become fans of his on-camera gadget reviews. As a TechTV product reviewer and a CNET senior editor Kim had become a minor celebrity in the tech community. He had also been an entrepreneur, operating with Kati a hip San Francisco boutique called Doe and a trendy neighborhood convenience store called Church Street Apothecary.

     James Kim was born August 9, 1971. He attended high school in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Oberlin College in 1993.

James Kim devoted his best energies to his wife and daughters.

“He had walked an amazing 16 miles from the car, 10.5 miles along the road and 5.5 miles past treacherous terrain along a stretch Big Windy Creek that had been declared impassable by search crews. ”

Asian American Videos

Dance & Stage Channel

Travel Channel

CONTACT US | ADVERTISING INFO

© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.