Cell Phone Signal Responsible for Rescue

Combing through cell phone records Edge Wireless engineer Eric Fuqua and Noah Pugsley were able to deduce where the Kim's were located and later rescued. Edge Wireless serves rural areas for Cingular. Two momentary blips on the cell phone radar 4 seconds apart led Eric to determine where they were located. Using this data and his knowledge of the area, he was able to help direct rescuers to the "z" sector on the west side of the cell phone tower.

While lost in the mountains, the family's phones were out of range most of the time. But one briefly caught cell tower reception at 1:30 a.m. Nov. 26.

The phone ``pinged'' -- or registered -- two quick blips on the tower. The first lasted one second and then was gone. Four seconds later, the phone registered again just long enough for the network to send the phone a notice that there were voice or text messages waiting, Fuqua said.

The signal quickly faded, and didn't last long enough for the family to check the message. It was also too weak for the family to make a call, he said.

The signal did indicate that the family was in sector ``z'' on the west side of the cell tower's 26 mile radius. Fuqua, an avid fisherman and dirt bike rider, said he knew the family must have been lost in the Bear Camp area after leaving Denny's.

``It was more gut instinct and knowing the area,'' Fuqua said, adding that he'd been in the same area with his children many times.

The search continues for James Kim who set out a few days before his family was found to search for help.
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