Why does the 911 call by the guy who found Nadia Bloom

[Subdivisions]

creep me out so much?

[meegbear]

1. "God 'led me directly' to girl lost in swamp, Florida rescuer says" ...

The man who rescued an 11-year-old girl lost in a dense Florida swamp said Wednesday that God led him directly to her, and that finding her was no surprise.

James King said he set out on his own to look for Nadia Bloom on Tuesday, trusting that he was going in the right direction even when that meant through water or dense brush.

"I was expecting to hear her voice," King told CNN. "So I'm yelling, 'Nadia!' and at one point, I yell, 'Nadia!' and I hear 'What?' And I said that way -- right there."

King said he was surprised by the good shape Nadia was in. She had been missing since Friday, and though shoeless and covered in insect bites, she was in otherwise good condition, he said.

"She was not panicked. She looked like she had been sitting there, waiting on me," he said.

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/14/florida.girl.rescued/index.html

I find something creepy about him too.

[no limit]

3. Something seems off to me about this story. Why would he be alone in a swap searching?

I dont want to jump to any conclusions but I really do smell a rat with all of this.

[Subdivisions]

5. The whole thing is just ... weird. Check this out:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TheLaw/nadia-bloom-rescuer-james-king-tells-gma-god/story?id=10369170

The 9/11 call seems so scripted. The guy seems so animated and over the top in his description of what happened. Nadia sounded ... dare I say it ... coached.

Give me your impressions.

[liberalhistorian]

11. You apparently aren't too familiar with Asperger's.

My son's an aspie and she sounds exactly like what my son would have said, word for word almost. I don't think she sounded "coached" at all, probably because I've raised an aspie myself and know how they talk, think and act.

As for the "God telling him", I've had some "burning bush" moments myself, so I find it quite believable.

And believe me, if he HAD done something to her and caused this himself, she would have spoken up about it by now. Aspies have a lot of trouble "keeping secrets", so to speak. They are often brutally honest, skipping the social "small talk", which is a major reason why so many people don't understand them or are uncomfortable with them. I like it and find it refreshing, frankly.

[Subdivisions]

You are correct. I'm barely familiar with Asperger's. And I humbly thank

you for your post and for your experience. You are certainly bounds more competent to speak on Asperger's than I am.

I truly hope my reaction to this is unfounded as I rarely get such a feeling. It's not Nadia that creeps me out, it is the guy who found her.

[arcadian]

24. WTF? If you think god told him where this child was

You aren't grounded in reality.

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. Meditation often brings insight.

God? Meh.

[no limit]

32. You can't be serious

[lumberjack_jeff]

47. You disagree that mindful meditation can release/reveal/catalyze insights?

Or is your avatar Buddy Jesus disagreeing with my ambivalence about God?

[no limit]

52. Yes, I disagree. But even if it were true that would mean he would have to have prior knowledge

of her location.

You aren't suggesting the location of this little girl just magically appeared to him because he thought really really hard about it, now are you?

[lumberjack_jeff]

54. No. Hunches don't always require foreknowledge.

Now that I've told you twice what I am suggesting, you can stop speculating about what I'm not.

[no limit]

62. An entire search team was out looking for her and this guy found here because he got a hunch?

After thinking really really hard about it? I'm sorry, I call bullshit.

[lumberjack_jeff]

65. Yes. He found her because he got a hunch that the entire search team didn't.

[no limit]

66. A hunch he claims came from God. Give me a fucking break.

People don't get that lucky in this life.

[lumberjack_jeff]

67. Then prove it.

If the girl wandered into the swamp of her own accord, then a hunch is the only explanation.

[no limit]

69. I can't prove anything, I'm not investigating anything. I'm just pointing out this smells fishy

people don't get that lucky.

The proof will come from the people investigating this. And I could turn out to be wrong. But I think my skepticism is valid in this case. It simply makes no sense to me.

[lumberjack_jeff]

70. Sometimes they do get that lucky.

It is possible the girl might have been lured into the woods, but my experience with a child with autism leads me to believe it would be impossible to coach him to successfully deceive anyone.

[no limit]

71. I guess we'll find out. I just don't believe a voice in his head led him to the girl

or some kind of realization.

Is there a chance he got lucky? Maybe. We'll find out.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

72. I'm reminded of the local private helicopter pilot who located that family in Oregon.

Teams had already been out searching for quite a while when a local helicopter pilot saw the news report and jumped in his chopper on a "hunch" ... albeit an educated hunch. He said he knew the area like the back of his hand and "just knew" were they were located.

I haven't followed the case in the OP but it DID set off alarm bells for me too. That said, maybe the guy in the Op is a local who knows the area "like the back of his hand" .... or maybe there IS some shenanigans.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003466301_webhunch07.html
Volunteer pilot's hunch led to family missing in Oregon
John Rachor was up in the Cascade Range with his grandkids last weekend getting a Christmas tree when he read in the newspaper that...

By JEFF BARNARD

The Associated Press

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – John Rachor was up in the Cascade Range with his grandkids last weekend getting a Christmas tree when he read in the newspaper that a San Francisco family had disappeared while headed to the coast for a night in a lodge along the Rogue River.

A longtime pilot and owner of eight Burger King restaurants who regularly flies his helicopter over the rugged Rogue River Canyon, he got a hunch that James and Kati Kim and their two young daughters had made an all-too-common mistake and taken the Bear Camp Road as a shortcut in winter, when it can be blocked by snow.

A one-lane blacktop logging road through the Siskiyou National Forest, Bear Camp Road is regularly used in summer by rafters on the Rogue River to shuttle their vehicles, and in winter by hunters, cross-country skiers and families hunting Christmas trees.

When people head west from Galice to Agness get to a fork near the road's summit, many mistakenly take the right fork into a warren of old logging roads.

[Divine Discontent]

57. I wouldn't bet my life against it, would you? Regardless of how unbelievable it sounds.

[Demoiselle]

61. Liberal Historian didn't say that god told him where the child was.

LH was speaking from personal experience about children with Asperger's Syndrome. .
I am surprised by the suspicions expressed this thread. I listened to the tape. The little girl had been lost in the swamp for four days, frightened and dehydrated. I know after such an experience I would be giddy about being found. And a kind of giddy joy, for want of a better description, is what I think I hear in her voice....
He, too, sounds over the moon, giddy with joy.
And why shouldn't they be?
He is a true believer. I can't share his faith. But I'm perfectly willing to take it at face value.
Sure, I share a certain discomfort with tv evangelist "faith" and all the phony bells and whistles that accompany it. But I just don't hear it or see it here.

[lumberjack_jeff]

31. Fully agree.

I laughed when I heard her on the phone for the same reason. "Who is this?" :rofl:

[Regret My New Name]

17. It is weird... I wouldn't be surprised if we hear more about this...

[Divine Discontent]

59. I feel that too, but I hope I'm wrong. But I know for a fact amazing things can happen that are

unexplained. I can give 3 stories of direct and amazing knowledge of an event, that would make people's hair stand on end. One of them happened to me, exact month and situation to boot. I am concerned he isn't telling the truth, but, like the authorities said, he'll be treated like a hero unless something shows he's not.

[LiberalFighter]

18. Read the article and to me it is highly unlikely it happen the way King reported it.

The rescuer and the family of the girl are also from the same church.

[arcadian]

13. He either knew exactly where she was or is lying about his story.

or both.

[aikoaiko]

23. I found a lost girl in a house after the police said not to bother searching because the K-9

didn't detect her.

I was a teen, but I kept looking and I found her sound asleep under a pile of stuffed animals in a dark closet.

Some people just want to help and don't need permission to do so.

[asjr]

4. Maybe he took her there to begin with. Then

the miracle happened right on time.

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Yep. The whole thing would be a red flag for me if I was in law enforcement. I think I would

look closely at the man, just in case.

[lumberjack_jeff]

28. Kind of a stupid plan.

"Nadia, how did you get in the swamp?"

Doh.

[joeybee12]

14. did you ask God why he didn't lead you there on the 1st day as opposed to the 5th? n/t

[Blue Diadem]

22. Odd the rescuer and the girl's family both attended the same church

I didn't hear it clearly enough to know if they attended at the same time or not.

I'm glad she's alive and well.

[louis-t]

27. The words"even a blind squirrel....."

come to mind. The part that creeped me out was he asked to take her picture. Something smells. We have not heard the end of this story.

[deutsey]

34. Well, skepticism is always good to have

and I am a bit skeptical myself over all this just because so many quacks try to pull fast ones on the media these days (e.g., Balloon Boy).

Still, I'm not as creeped out or as doubtful as you are...yet, anyway. I'm glad the girl is home and safe. It will be nice to just have this be a happy ending, but there always seems to be that proverbial "other shoe" waiting to fall, doesn't there?

[DJ13]

2. He came across as a religious nut

It creeped my wife and I out as well.

[dchill]

39. Creepy...

In a Ted Haggard kind of way.

[mercuryblues]

6. Call me a cynic

I can't help but think, he kidnapped her to begin with. The history on his GPS would be interesting to see.

[Subdivisions]

8. Welcome to DU, mercuryblues. This is really, REALLY creepy. n/t

[ZeitgeistObserver]

9. He knew exactly where to find her, that's why.

[Individualist]

15. +1

[Skidmore]

10. Whatever.

Just glad the child was found alive. And I'm not one to endorse religious nutbaggery either, but the man did good for this family.

[JuniperLea]

12. Totally creeped me out...

in an "Angel of Death" sort of way... you know, like psycho nurses who harm patients so they can "save" them.

I wonder if "God" wants her to keep some secret or another.

[SoCalDem]

37. Munchaeusen by Proxy Rescuer

creepy dude.. reminds me of the firefighters who set fires, so they can rush in and "discover" it & then get all the attention for being heroic

[JuniperLea]

49. Yep!

I just cannot buy his story... not at all.

[HillbillyBob]

16. Here I thought i was just being suspicious

He seems like a gay man who is hiding it with religion.
Then again I have strange notions some times.
Seeing him on tv this morning, I thought he's real cute I wonder if his wife realizes hes gay?

[aikoaiko]

19. I'm glad to hear it wasn't just me. I'm confident that the police will investigate the circumstances

of him rescuing the girl.

Its impossible that it is a munchausen by proxy like situation where the rescuer becomes the hero.

Or a kidnapping where the kidnapper or a relative/friend wanted to correct the situation before it got worse.

Or maybe he's just a creepy, religious guy who attributed his success to a higher power as an act of humility. It happens.

[malaise]

20. BIg time

God led him to her????? WTF??

[OHdem10]

21. I am so glad that others had similar thoughts as I had. There is

something that me uneasy from the get go.

[Gin]

25. thank you god......but I had a creepy feeling when I heard that too.

glad shes home though!

[Individualist]

26. He knew exactly where to find her, and no other searchers were with him.

[lumberjack_jeff]

29. He creeps me out because he's a validated zealot.

Other than that...

I believe the official story.

I think he's a heroic zealot. They're not mutually exclusive.

[lamp_shade]

33. K&R (creeped me out too)

[Quantess]

35. I heard the 911 call, and I fail to see why it's creepy.

It's good news. Right?

[Subdivisions]

36. I was the first to say so yesterday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8141066

[Toasterlad]

38. Wow. Remind Me To Never Look For Any Lost Kids.

Next thing you know, I'll be in jail for child abuse when I was just trying to help.

[dchill]

40. Nobody is in any trouble...

if the story is true.

[Toasterlad]

41. Not Too Many People On This Thread Seem To Be Interested In Whether Or Not the Story Is True.

[dchill]

43. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm definitely...

interested in whether or not the story is true. I mean, of course, insofar as how much of it CAN be true, or proven.

[Zywiec]

50. +1

[GentryDixon]

42. This smells to me as well.

[nolabear]

44. I'm fond of DU but this kind of speculation creeps me out.

So the guy's religious. People see the world through many lenses, and his is one that has "God" stamped on it. I don't believe in the traditional God but the guy did a good thing, the girl's fine and not disabled in any way that would prevent her from telling if anything strange happened, and there's no evidence whatsoever that it did. So he believes he was sent there and his life has meaning and he and the child are blessed. Beats the hell out of being cynical, paranoid and using your belief system to dump on someone about whom you know nothing, be you religious zealot or DU afficionado.

[Toasterlad]

46. Seriously. When I'M Sticking Up For the Religious Guy, You Know We're In Tin-Foil Territory.

[lumberjack_jeff]

48. +1

[Quantess]

53. I have to agree with you.

A lot of people were searching for her, and it isn't so incredibly weird that one person would eventually find her after 4 days.

If it were a non-religious person who found her, he would have said something like "What incredible luck! I had a hunch that I should look that direction..." But he's a bible-thumper, so of course he's going to attribute the good luck to God.

I think if he had anything to do with her being lost, the girl would have said something about it.

[cherokeeprogressive]

55. If you don't watch it, someone will call you a defender of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and his

followers, or something else meant to be as insulting as possible to people of faith.

[no limit]

63. The phone call didn't weird you out? at all?

[Crystal Clarity]

64. It wasn't the religious stuff though...

Nor was it Nadia's statements. As someone on this thread pointed out already, Aspy kids have ways of communication that may sometimes appear odd or "off" to us. For me it neither of those things.

It was the guy's interaction(s) with Nadia audible on the 911 tape that really creeped me out... his way of communicating with her sounded very odd to me. He spoke to her as if she were a 2 or 3 year old, and asburger's or not, Nadia certainly appears to function on a much higher level then that. It was his tone I think. For example, you can hear him saying on the tape while awaiting help (paraphrasing here) "Nadia, look what I have!...Chocolate milk"!!! His pitch was high and much like one a person would use to speak to a much younger child.

To be fair, I know nothing about this guy. He may not be used to interacting with children. Furthermore, it's probable that the hour or so he and Nadia were awaiting help may have been filled with akward silences. And perhaps the awkwardness was compounded for him in knowing that he's being taped. In otherwords, he may have not known what to say and how to say it.

That taken into consideration, I nonetheless still couldn't shake the creeped-out feeling I had about the guy.

[TheDebbieDee]

45. I'm getting a balloon boy vibe outta that 9/11 call..............

The girl was wandering around in the swamps for four days but this happy jerk's 9/11 phonecall sounded rehearsed!

[cutlassmama]

51. +1

[DiverDave]

56. Me Too!

kinda creepy.
I just said BS the whole time it was on.
Then I turned it before I got sick.

[ecstatic]

58. I'm out of the loop on this one. Which network was covering this story? nt

[Doremus]

60. Because so many "rescuers" end up actually being suspects?

As soon as they said the guy who found her was heading a private search party I had my suspicions. When they said he was sent by God, the alarm bells started clanging loud and clear.

Let's put it this way: If the guy ISN'T guilty of having done her harm during the days she's been missing I'll be very surprised.

[WI_DEM]

68. I don't know but I'm just happy she is safe and sound.