How to properly recover from a riverbed (1 Viewer)

[White Stripe]

In this situation it's probably too dangerous to have a person in the cruiser to steer a little. In your opinion, for the best recovery, where along the riverbank should the winching vehicle be located? Should a second recovery vehicle/winch be used?

I would like to know the name of the tow truck company so I make sure to never call them.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Ouch.
Looks like strapping it from the roof was the easiest/safest option.

If it was pulled from the rear bumper, may have been a different outcome?
Where the video was taken from might have been a better angle to pull it from?

 

[nukegoat]

I dont think they did much wrong here. The vehicle needed to be dragged out, its clearly gonna have a bad day anyway, and its already dangerous as hell to have a giant box in moving water that deep. I think it would be way more irresponsible to have someone sitting in the rig.

 

[TWILLY]

I would have done the opposite of what was done here:

1. Tow from upstream (at like a 30-45 degree angle), not downstream, so that the truck ferries across the current, or remains under tension if swept downstream;
2. Use a low rather than high recovery point on the rear passenger side to discourage rolling.

 

[half k cruiser]

So that was probably a wrecker that deployed that line, which means he's up over the bank somewhere presumably on a road or at the top of what might be a boat ramp. This truck is totaled out regardless. If you were trying to salvage the panels and you had a winch equipped 4x4 to get down there then once it had been towed back into shallower water and was sitting on its lid, you could reposition to where the cameraman was filming and roll it back up onto it's wheels. Then have somebody go out and stick it in N, get inline with it and pull it straight back.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I dont think they did much wrong here. The vehicle needed to be dragged out, its clearly gonna have a bad day anyway, and its already dangerous as hell to have a giant box in moving water that deep. I think it would be way more irresponsible to have someone sitting in the rig.

I agree. The one time I was involved in a similar recovery, with 2 trucks winching from slightly upstream, the exact thing happened. The truck did a few rolls before coming to the bank, and then another to be rolled up on the bank. It wasn't pretty at all.

Plus, not exactly easy to attach to a point low on the truck when it's submerged in deep, fast and cold water. No sense loosing your swimmer to recover a 20 year old Land Cruiser that's already a total loss. And the idea of having someone trying to steer it is laughable. Then you'd for sure have a drowning victim too.

 

[Dork]

Forget the tow company, totally careless driver. Went into fast moving water, probably without knowing how deep it was, probably didn't check and did it without a buddy to help get the vehicle out. Now they've dumped a tank of gas into the river, along with whatever other fluids came out, a bunch of broken glass and whatever other garbage came out of the vehicle.

Inconsiderate people like this are why we aren't allowed to drive offroad in most places.

 

[Cass007]

Why couldn't it have been a red one? Why does a white one have to die .... just sayin?

 

[woodsman 44]

Dibs on the factory roof rack..

 

[Heckraiser]

I would tow from upstream if possible. Otherwise, can't see what could have been done differently. Obviously a lower hookup point may have prevented the rollover, but who's going to go diving in cold moving water to hook up to your frame recovery points? In this case, I think prudence would dictate whatever is safest for the humans doing the recovery over whatever might be best to salvage the truck.

 

[Azca]

I believe those were firemen in the vid. They won't care what the vehicle looks like, just making sure no one was trapped in the vehicle.

Agree, really dumb driver.

I don't think there was much choice initially but once they had the vehicle in slower moving, and shallower water, they could have re-attached and saved some body work.

 

[Cruzerman]

I think the extraction did what the people performing the extraction wanted. They got the vehicle out of the river in the safest and easiest manner. However, if it were my vehicle (I sure hope I'm not that stupid), I'd have some different objectives.

 

[nukegoat]

I think the extraction did what the people performing the extraction wanted. They got the vehicle out of the river in the safest and easiest manner. However, if it were my vehicle (I sure hope I'm not that stupid), I'd have some different objectives.

Different objectives than safety?

 

[TWILLY]

If it had taken a fast roll or float downstream it could have slackened and then snapped tight the recovery line, hurting someone and or damaging the recovery vehicle. Upstream is safer and more desirable because it’s easier to keep tension, even if you don’t care what damage is done to the submerged truck.

I’d have had the dumbass driver choose and then actually go fasten the recovery point to his truck.

 

[ZackR]

It's one of those situations where getting it out matters more than damage. It'll buff out and become a dedicated trail rig.

Easy to armchair qb something like this but it doesn't look like the recovery went badly to me.

 

[HAAANK]

Different objectives than safety?

I’d swap safety with liability. Meaning I think the they pulling the rig out likely operated within legal safe zone. No judgement, just commentary.

 

[HAAANK]

Too many variables to address here but: I would like to think that if the water was warm or had a wetsuit drysuit One could jump in up stream harnessed to winch cable (synth). This would allow them to be drug back to shore if they missed the rig. If the area around the truck was safe enough to secure the cable to a lower point, proceed.

Once connected one could pull themselves to shore and get out of harms way before the winching began.

Not saying this is fool proof but it’s the first thing that came to mind if it were my truck. Otherwise, NOPE.

 

[Dingotech]

Well, for starters, call the Army Corps of Engineers and have them build a dam upstream.

 

[White Stripe]

He probably doesn't know squat about wheeling and was trying to show off for his girl. I think I could get him out if he had some recovery points on the back, but he has none. Maybe back up to him with a guy hanging off the back bumper within a couple feet armed with a strap. Looks like the water suddenly drops off so hopefully can get pretty close. Once close bust out the up river quarter glass and hatch glass. Wrap strap around the c pillar, pull forward to shallower water, hook up strap to shackle, and pull him out. He would have to pay me a lot to try that though. Even not going on the roof, damage to electronics and interior will be substantial. Not sure if that would work.

 

[shocktower]

That is my buddies rig, and that was the only way to get it out, jumping in 48* water to save a vehicle that is unsavable, and at that point it's just pulling it out to keep it from pollution in the river, the location is the only place they could get access to it.

This story did not end, 2 months later his house caught fire and his left over cruiser got burned up


@White Stripe I guess you don't live in the PNW that river would kill you for a stupid vehicle, that is screwed anyway