Use PROPER recovery points

[jaymz]

I know this has been discussed before, but it bears repeating. Recent fatality in AZ due to improper recovery equipment/procedures.


(Heads up for anyone that may be sensitive. There’s one pic that may be considered mildly graphic to some)

Don’t let this be you, or someone you know.

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[Mocopo]

In AZ here, saw this story when it happened. So many mistakes made all at once. Worst part is his family witnessed the whole thing, right there in the vehicle.

Underscores the importance of not just using proper recovery points, but using all of your gear properly. A static rope was used incorrectly. They had already busted a chain. I'm glad I invested in a kinetic rope, and have bumpers with proper recovery points. I have both hard and soft shackles, and I have done some research on where and how I can safely attach to other vehicles if they don't have proper recovery points. Hopefully others that off road invest in their safety similarly.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Jeepeto]

So unfortunate ?

I saw the photos on Factor 55s IG a few days ago and remember hoping there was nobody in the vehicle when it happened. It’s awful that his family witnessed it, I can’t begin to imagine how traumatic that would be.

RIP Ryan, I hope that your story will save lives.

 

[Jim1964]

Another thing I never see mentioned. There should be NO passengers in a vehicle being recovered.

1. People don’t need to be in the danger zone.
2. Counterproductive weight.

 

[2manyhobbies]

That hitch. Holy crap. The moment created by pulling a solid 12” lower than the attachment point. Damn.

It may not have helped avoid this situation, but a blanket on that strap may have slowed things down enough to avoid a fatality.

 

[fspalt]

Torque = force x distance. Pulling on that drop hitch significantly multiplied the torque being so far off the attachment point. I have used an kinetic rope with the eye secured with the hitch pin to give someone a light tug on the beach before. But frame buried and full size truck in mud I would not use anything other than rated recovery points. I liked the app in the article.

In AZ here, saw this story when it happened. So many mistakes made all at once. Worst part is his family witnessed the whole thing, right there in the vehicle.

Underscores the importance of not just using proper recovery points, but using all of your gear properly. A static rope was used incorrectly. They had already busted a chain. I'm glad I invested in a kinetic rope, and have bumpers with proper recovery points. I have both hard and soft shackles, and I have done some research on where and how I can safely attach to other vehicles if they don't have proper recovery points. Hopefully others that off road invest in their safety similarly.

Thanks for sharing.

Do you have any of your research you could share? Does anyone know of a good recovery handbook or something we could have the mods post a sticky off on the forum here? This forum is a great wealth of information and this would be a good way to pass along not just the story but also some real world advice to honor this man and make sure something like this is avoided in the future.

 

[jbcrane]

Man, that's so sad. Just goes to show you how quickly things can and do go sideways. What a tragedy too his family witnessed the whole thing. That's going to be hard to move on from. Prayers for them, and the friend trying to help. Some valuable warnings in this story.

 

[Mocopo]

Torque = force x distance. Pulling on that drop hitch significantly multiplied the torque being so far off the attachment point. I have used an kinetic rope with the eye secured with the hitch pin to give someone a light tug on the beach before. But frame buried and full size truck in mud I would not use anything other than rated recovery points. I liked the app in the article.



Do you have any of your research you could share? Does anyone know of a good recovery handbook or something we could have the mods post a sticky off on the forum here? This forum is a great wealth of information and this would be a good way to pass along not just the story but also some real world advice to honor this man and make sure something like this is avoided in the future.

I don't have a handbook or anything, I was fortunate enough to attend a couple of separate offroad courses that went over vehicle recovery, along with some general reading. I highly recommend taking these kinds of courses if you have an opportunity. A quality course will go over the various considerations you'd need to keep in mind when deciding the proper recovery method. There was a good one that my wife and I attended one year at Overland Expo West.

So much of it requires you to think critically about how/why the vehicle is stuck (is it sucked into the mud, or does it just have no traction?), how much force may be necessary to get it unstuck, and proper recovery methods to generate that kind of force. I actually agree with your statement to only use rated recovery points in this situation, stuck in mud is a different beast than almost any other stuck situation. It requires a lot of force to break free.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Another thing I never see mentioned. There should be NO passengers in a vehicle being recovered.

1. People don’t need to be in the danger zone.
2. Counterproductive weight.

In the vast majority of recovery situations, you need someone driving the recovered vehicle for both safety and the ability to maintain momentum and use the vehicles power to help get unstuck. The family absolutely should not have been in the vehicle. If you are only going to use one of the front recovery points, use the passenger side and pull at an angle towards the drivers side so that the driver is not in line with the angle of pull. The massive drop hitch was an obviously bad idea. I run a solid steel pintle ring in the hitch for both recovery purposes and it acts as a slider coming off obstacles. Don't be afraid to dig either, especially if you don't have the equipment for a safe recovery. It's better to leave your vehicle in a mud hole and come back better prepared than to take short cuts that may end in tragedy. Any piece of rigging can become a projectile and steps should be taken to keep people out of the line of fire if something fails.

 

[6.2Blazer]

Really sad situation. Emphasizes the importance of proper gear......from looking at the pictures that receiver looks very cheesy. The combination of the amount of drop on it which applies a lot of leverage, and it just looks like awfully thin wall metal for the application. I understand what they are saying about using hitch balls, but even the crappy multi-piece ball didn't fail and this was simply a way underrated tow point that failed regardless of the style of it.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Really sad situation. Emphasizes the importance of proper gear......from looking at the pictures that receiver looks very cheesy. The combination of the amount of drop on it which applies a lot of leverage, and it just looks like awfully thin wall metal for the application. I understand what they are saying about using hitch balls, but even the crappy multi-piece ball didn't fail and this was simply a way underrated tow point that failed regardless of the style of it.

I also disagree with their assessment that hitches and tow balls are static load rated. A load on a trailer is as dynamic as they come. If you've ever towed anything heavy, you can feel the shock loading of the hitch ball. If it's rated to tow 18klbs, it better have a shear strength of at least twice that. The lever arm, shock loading of a tow strap, and a light duty drop hitch were the issue. On many vehicles, including our JLU, I'd trust the receiver hitch over the factory hook any day.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

Just seeing it sitting in there it looks like it is balls deep. Then they break chains and yet, still continue? I get they were buddies but it's pretty obvious that is a quick tug at all.

 

[MrGneissGuy]

Wow. that is so hard to see/read.

I don't do much off-roading, and what I do is pretty tame compared to most and I try to avoid mud like that. But I purchased a recovery strap (kinetic rope) and D-ring for my hitch in case I am in a situation where I could help someone stuck in the snow or similar. But I have been considering just taking that stuff out of my Jeep, mostly because if it's not a Jeep or other 4WD where the recovery points are obvious, I won't know what to hook up to on someone else's vehicle and I don't want to damage it. I've seen brief demonstrations on recovery, but that was using a winch, not recovery strap.

After reading that, call me chicken, but I'm thinking there are other reasons why I might want to think twice before offering that kind of assistance. I think I might need some additional instruction/experience with someone who knows what they're doing before I do anything like that. Maybe I should just take that stuff out and use the space for something else.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Very sad. I wonder if it would have been easier to pull it backwards versus deeper into the stuff that caused it to stick.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Wow. that is so hard to see/read.

I don't do much off-roading, and what I do is pretty tame compared to most and I try to avoid mud like that. But I purchased a recovery strap (kinetic rope) and D-ring for my hitch in case I am in a situation where I could help someone stuck in the snow or similar. But I have been considering just taking that stuff out of my Jeep, mostly because if it's not a Jeep or other 4WD where the recovery points are obvious, I won't know what to hook up to on someone else's vehicle and I don't want to damage it. I've seen brief demonstrations on recovery, but that was using a winch, not recovery strap.

After reading that, call me chicken, but I'm thinking there are other reasons why I might want to think twice before offering that kind of assistance. I think I might need some additional instruction/experience with someone who knows what they're doing before I do anything like that. Maybe I should just take that stuff out and use the space for something else.

I bought a T hook and chain fitting for helping others after seeing a guy tow my first car by it's subframe safely but helping out a stranger and causing damage or injury is a good reason to let the pros handle these situations.

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