CNET editor missing

My eyes just happened to catch a headline on the Drudge Report yesterday evening about a missing CNET editor. James Kim is a senior editor for digital media at CNET. Apparently he and his family were going on a trip over Thanksgiving, and disappeared while driving through a bad snow storm in Oregon. It looks like the story is starting to get some national attention.

A while back TiVo formed a partnership with CNET so that TiVo owners with a networked TiVo could have CNET shows automatically downloaded once a week. It’s usually a 30 minute show about various technical gadgets and toys. I don’t care about everything they review, but I usually watch each show, skipping to the gadgets that look interesting to me. I first became aware of Kim on this show as he usually makes an appearance to talk about portable media players, which I’ve been researching for some time.

I’ve been surprised at how frequently I’ve been wanting to go back and check for updates on the story. It’s interesting how you can feel like you know someone you’ve never met, just by watching them on TV and reading their writing online. I pray the whole family is found safe and sound.

Update: After the rescue of the mom and 2 daughters on Monday, there was renewed hope for finding James Kim as well. He set off on foot on Saturday in search of help. Tragically, he did not survive and was found today. Many amazing details are emerging, including reports from the helicopter pilot hired by relatives that say it was James’ foot prints in the snow that led the rescuers to the car where his wife and daughters were stranded. A truly sad story.