How to properly recover from a riverbed (1 Viewer)

[Cruiserdrew]

@shocktower

What's the story of how the truck ended up there? Was your bud trying to cross to the gravel bar or was it just a mistake?

Just glad no one was injured or drowned.

The one time this happened to our group, some guys rafting and kayaking the river helped get the driver to shore, but it was a very dangerous situation.

 

[shocktower]

@shocktower

What's the story of how the truck ended up there? Was your bud trying to cross to the gravel bar or was it just a mistake?

Just glad no one was injured or drowned.

The one time this happened to our group, some guys rafting and kayaking the river helped get the driver to shore, but it was a very dangerous situation.

He said he was not paying attention, and the river embankment broke away and he was in the river instantly, he and his daughter got out, but it sat there for 2 hours, in the river, until the sheriff and fire rescue, they used a boat to put the strap on the cruiser, these guy's that say it was done wrong have no clue on how a river like that will kill you within minutes

 

[White Stripe]

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

Our rivers aren't as wide as some of your rivers but some of them flow faster than that one by far. Ive never taken the temperature of the water, but it takes your breath away. When I was a teenager, my fj40 and those rivers had some interesting altercations. I don't go up their too much anymore because I've done those trails like 12 times and even with all the vents raised I still get some water in my gear boxes. But yeah, maybe I wouldn't make it, maybe I wouldn't even try I don't know I'm not their. Their are some guys here capable of some pretty cool extractions though and have some great ideas. Especially the guys wheeling up in Alaska. Thus it makes for a great challenging technical extraction scenario. If I posted up a video of a guy stuck in a little mud that would be pointless as their are plenty of known methods for such extraction.

 

[Cruzerman]

Different objectives than safety?

Different than easiest. I think there are many ways to safely extract that vehicle, but they wouldn't have been as easy as putting a strap around the roof and just keep pulling until it is out of the river, no matter what.

 

[REKCUT]

But i do love the arm chair quarterbacking of this kind of stuff. No idea whats around the event or conditions but so many "better" ways to do it.

 

[sunrk]

Land cruisers are not 'heavy vehicles' remember - they are 'light vehicles' and therefore will *not* take deep and/or fast water easily without very careful planning. It's not like we're driving russian trucks through swollen rivers that are fully-loaded and can almost completely submerge yet be perfectly fine and stable due to the heavy weight that counters bouyancy.

Also remember too that saltwater is a lot more bouyant than non-salt water, so if you're attempting water crossings anywhere that has tidal influence, you'll float more easily.

 

[Cruzerman]

If it only would have had a snokel...

 

[HAAANK]

He said he was not paying attention, and the river embankment broke away and he was in the river instantly, he and his daughter got out, but it sat there for 2 hours, in the river, until the sheriff and fire rescue, they used a boat to put the strap on the cruiser, these guy's that say it was done wrong have no clue on how a river like that will kill you within minutes

That had to be scary. How did they get back to shore? My kids are all under 10 so I think aabout what nightmare it would be to get myself plus one to shore...

 

[artech]

From a Paramedic perspective; the occupants did well getting out of that truck with no injuries. The recovery also went well with no injuries. The truck was totaled the minute it went into the water, that's unfortunate but it is what it is. Getting everyone involved through the accident and recovery in that kind of deep swift water with nobody hurt makes this a win in my book. That kind of swift water kills even experienced rescuers sometimes- it is WAY more dangerous than it looks. The truck paid the price for the mistake and that's a shame, but at the end of the day a truck can be replaced. People can't.

And if the motor died before getting hydrolocked and bending something critical, it would still make a hell of a trail rig with some pretty cool scars! I drove worse looking stuff than that every day back in my youth!

 

[amagnono]

Holy s***, Beavis. At what point did he decide to stop crossing - when he couldn’t breath any more??!!

That sucks all the way around. Looks just like my rig. Hurt me to watch that.

 

[Jgunner]

It was totaled anyways, so unless someone wanted it to be a pretty bodied, salvage title, start from scratch trail rig, well, i lil rolling around in the river won’t set it back too far.

 

[aktundra]

I think the “take-away” here, is always consider the force of the current in river recoveries.

There maybe situations where as hobbyist, we are doing a river recovery.

I have been paddling/rowing rivers since I was 12. I have been told: a submerged canoe in an “average” current will press on an obstruction with 10 tons of force. Not sure how this rule of thumb applies here, but you can see what a realatively modest current does to a 2-3(?) ton truck.

Make sure your recovery gear has a working load able to handle the extra forces that may result from the current.

 

[ChaseTruck]

From a Paramedic perspective; the occupants did well getting out of that truck with no injuries. The recovery also went well with no injuries. The truck was totaled the minute it went into the water, that's unfortunate but it is what it is. Getting everyone involved through the accident and recovery in that kind of deep swift water with nobody hurt makes this a win in my book. That kind of swift water kills even experienced rescuers sometimes- it is WAY more dangerous than it looks. The truck paid the price for the mistake and that's a shame, but at the end of the day a truck can be replaced. People can't.

And if the motor died before getting hydrolocked and bending something critical, it would still make a hell of a trail rig with some pretty cool scars! I drove worse looking stuff than that every day back in my youth!

We've done some river running back on the days. What I've taken away from it is that the water always wins.

 

[shocktower]

From a Paramedic perspective; the occupants did well getting out of that truck with no injuries. The recovery also went well with no injuries. The truck was totaled the minute it went into the water, that's unfortunate but it is what it is. Getting everyone involved through the accident and recovery in that kind of deep swift water with nobody hurt makes this a win in my book. That kind of swift water kills even experienced rescuers sometimes- it is WAY more dangerous than it looks. The truck paid the price for the mistake and that's a shame, but at the end of the day a truck can be replaced. People can't.

And if the motor died before getting hydrolocked and bending something critical, it would still make a hell of a trail rig with some pretty cool scars! I drove worse looking stuff than that every day back in my youth!

Yes him surviving and his 16 YO daughter , is a great thing .He was lucky to open the sun roof and they got out, I went and looked at it a week after, because he asked me on what could he save, then about a month later his garage, caught on fire and burned up the rest of the cruiser . Here are the pictures when it was first pulled out of river and after his house fire, the cruiser was out side of the garage , guy had some bad luck

 

[HAAANK]

How does anyone survive a roll over? Can’t help but think there’s not enough protection offered by the a pillars

 

[shocktower]

View attachment 1867400

How does anyone survive a roll over? Can’t help but think there’s not enough protection offered by the a pillars

That was from being towed/drug out of the river

 

[sunrk]

Vehicles aren't designed to survive roll-overs - that's what roll cages are for. Most of us don't want, couldn't afford, and couldn't legally drive with, a roll cage in our 80's. A lot of kitted out 80's are very close to their legal GVM (in Australia it's 2.96 metric tonnes) just with all the extra 'stuff' and to fit a roll cage can require re-configuring all the added things.

The weight of a roll cage isn't huge though so just going with one spare wheel instead of two can shed enough weight to compensate for weight of a roll cage

Info about mining-industry ROPS (Roll Over Protection Structure) from an Australian manufacturer (they don't make them for 80 series):

ROLL OVER PROTECTION (ROPS) – Brown Davis- Long Range Fuel Tanks, Underbody Protection, Roll Cages and Motorsport

 

[HAAANK]

That was from being towed/drug out of the river

Yes, I’m familiar with the thread. It’s striking to me how it doesn’t look like enough headroom for a human to survive a roll-over.

 

[shocktower]

Yes, I’m familiar with the thread. It’s striking to me how it doesn’t look like enough headroom for a human to survive a roll-over.

That roof was crushed with, the weight of the vehicle and pressure from the river, cruisers do fare well in a normal roll over, but this situation with the pressure of a river is completely different, than a normal rollover

 

[HAAANK]

View attachment 1076282 View attachment 1076281

Fzj80-zero
Chinese snorkel-1

Walked away with cuts and bruises(4 people on a rafting trip). Thank god for the integrity of the Landcruiser. I would never wanna crash in any other vehicle.

Chinese snorkel unscathed essentially. Vehicle destroyed around it

This guy and his crew were on a rafting trip but managed to keep the rig on dry ground with fairly similar looking A pillars

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