The Donner Party: could the tragedy have been prevented?

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The Donner Party was a group of California-bound settlers who set out on their famous trip in the 1846. After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, some of the group was forced into cannibalism. When it was discovered that the group, which included many women and children, were snowbound, Californians rallied to save the Donner Party. Four rescue parties, or 'reliefs' were sent out. When the First Relief arrived, 14 had already died and the rest were very weak. Most had been surviving on boiled ox hide, but there had been no cannibalism. The First Relief set out with 21 refugees on February 22. When the Second Relief arrived a single week later, they found that some of the 31 emigrants left behind at the camps had begun to eat the dead. The Second Relief took 17 emigrants with them, the Third Relief four. By the time the Fourth Relief had reached the camp, only one man was alive. The last member of the Donner Party arrived at Sutter's Fort on April 29. Of the original 87 pioneers, 39 died and 48 survived. It was a terrible tragedy that haunts Californians to this day. Could it have been prevented? Should they have resorted to cannibalism?