Rainier Snowshoer Burned Money, Prayed to Live
The snowshoer who was rescued on Mount Rainier Monday has revealed how he managed to stay alive on the snow-covered mountain.
Yong Chun Kim survived two whole days in freezing temperatures by digging a snow tunnel, marching in place, and burning his socks, cash, and toothpaste.
The 66-year-old told KOMO-TV that at first he had fire starters, and then he began burning leaves. When he could no longer find those, he turned to the $1 and $5 bills from his wallet.
In an interview after his rescue, Kim joked that money made the best fire out of all of the items available.
Additionally, Kim said he talked to himself, took pictures, and prayed to God that he would survive.
Kim also noted that imagining his wife kept him alive, and picturing a hot sauna also helped him stay warm on the Washington State Mountain.
"I feel pretty good," said Kim speaking to the local television station late Monday.
He reported that the skills he learned while serving in the South Korean Military in the Vietnam War kept him alive. Kim did not panic, listened for the sounds of a helicopter, took refuge in tree wells that snow forms around a tree, and slept standing for five to 10 minutes at a time.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Kim's stepson Malcolm An said, "He could have died, he was walking around, struggling to find a place, literally not knowing where to go."
Dozens of park rangers, rescue dogs, volunteers and searchers from numerous organizations sought after Kim for three days.
Rescuers found the snowshoer Monday afternoon in a remote area of deep snow on the mountain. After nine hours of work, he was finally dug to safety. His condition was so good that medics released him to his family instead of taking him to the hospital.
"He was determined," said An. "He kept saying, he is not going to die unless God thinks he should. All he did was try to survive."
Kim is an experienced snowshoer and was leading a group of 16 people on a hiking and climbing expedition. When he accidentally slid down a slope he radioed that he was all right and would meet them later, but he became disoriented and went in the wrong direction. After another fall Kim lost his radio as well as his hiking pole, and was lost.
