A wholesome road trip turned tragic after a family took a wrong turn and ended up fighting for survival in the harsh winter

In 2006, the James Kim and his family would embark on a seemingly harmless road trip but unfortunately for the young family, things would go from wholesome to horrific pretty fast as one wrong turn would lead to them losing their way and being unable to find their way back in the harsh cold.

The family consisted of husband, James Kim, wife Kati Kim, and their two young daughters Penelope, four, and Sabine, who was just seven months old at the time. Speaking with ABC, Kati recalls how they had decided to take a break and visit family in Seattle over the thanksgiving holiday in 2006. On their return from the much needed getaway, James, who was driving the family car, made a vital mistake in missing a turn off.

One wrong turn changed their lives forever

Upon realizing their mistake, James and Kati decided to cut through a Bear Camp Road in order to course correct, but unbeknownst to them, it was a treacherous and risky route. Some time later, after realizing that the icy conditions made the road almost impossible to drive down, the family decided the best course of action would be to turn around and go back the way they had come.

Heading back up Bear Camp Road, they mistakenly ended up on a logging road that was usually gated but which had been left open this time. James and Kati assumed that this was the same road they had driven down but they were actually heading down a completely different road now. Everything looks the same when you’re in a snowy forest.

By the time the Kim’s realized they were on the wrong road it was already too late. The car didn’t have enough fuel to get them back, leaving no choice but to sit and wait in the cold for a passerby to hopefully find them. The trouble was that the road was rarely used.

No choice but to wait

With no alternative, the family hunkered down, using the car heaters sparingly but after a while, even that stopped working. They survived on the food they had and James Kim did everything he could to keep his wife and two daughters warm, but as the days passed, the chance of rescue was looking increasingly unlikely.

Eventually, James decided he would try and walk to the nearest town to get help. Trudging through the snow he believed the nearest town was within walking distance. Meanwhile, search efforts to find the Kims began on November 30th.

Luckily, the family did not become another statistic in the missing persons database. On December 4, a local helicopter pilot spotted Kati, Penelope, and Sabine and the three were swiftly rescued. Unfortunately for James, he perished due to hypothermia whilst attempting to find help. His body was found two days later.

In the end, it was the discovery of a cell phone connection that was ultimately what allowed rescuers to triangulate a rough position for the family. Sadly it was too late for James, but thankfully his family were able to escape with their lives. It just goes to show how dangerous a single wrong turn can truly be.