[KenP]

For lack of a better term I will use "sand cliffs". These often form along the beach in that area as the tide receeds. Adam could have been driving at a moderate speed and caught the edge of one, gotten scared and jerked the wheel. Very easily and rolling into the surf. That would absolve him of driving crazy, not of making a bed decision and going where it was not legal.

I still have a hard time understanding OnStar and the Dispatcher's level of concern. Remember, there was a hysterical woman screaming in the background. Was that relayed to the Rangers?
I like Marcmedics response best: "You bet your ass I'd be canned if I pulled anything like that. What they did went way past negligence, and there is no way you can say otherwise. They were lazy, plain and simple. Just becuase Adam was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be, and possibly being careless does not free emergency responders from performing their duties. Maybe the next time a drunk plows into a loaded minivan I'll just leave him there since he was stupid...I think not. The Park Rangers ****ed up, plain and simple, and in the end they'll pay the price with their jobs and a lawsuit. When you call off a search and the people die of exposure because you were lazy...you pay."

However, I just want to know exactly what happened. I hope the HUMMER's black box was not damaged. That will be telling.