Vancouver Island submerged truck recovery expedition
- Thread starter JoeCanadian
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- Thread starter
- #42
Anyone have rope or chain in the victoria to campbell river area??
This is starting to sound silly. You are turning to an internet forum for rigging gear? Along with personnel and equipment (diver, miscellaneous manpower and even the winch truck)?
Think seriously about farming this out to the professionals. An undertaking like this can be difficult and even dangerous. Especially for an inexperienced and under equipped group.
I'm not slamming you. This is just not something to undertake as a first time recovery project without appropriate gear.
Mark...
Think seriously about farming this out to the professionals. An undertaking like this can be difficult and even dangerous. Especially for an inexperienced and under equipped group.
I'm not slamming you. This is just not something to undertake as a first time recovery project without appropriate gear.
Mark...
Titanic
:whoops: Dunno what to say.....wish I could dive better
,but that cold sucked the life outa me right away 
. I'll check with the powers that be (wife) but should be coming out again this weekend. Should be epic no matter what happens .......I think what the guy said about slow movements applies for sure, to right the truck, maybe two "boom poles" at the bank so the first lift will be vertical?
:whoops: Dunno what to say.....wish I could dive better
,but that cold sucked the life outa me right away . I'll check with the powers that be (wife) but should be coming out again this weekend. Should be epic no matter what happens .......I think what the guy said about slow movements applies for sure, to right the truck, maybe two "boom poles" at the bank so the first lift will be vertical?
I'm gonna get very parental for a second:
If I read the above post right, you think you can lift the rig vertically right off the bottom? Ponder this...park a cruiser on the grass, stick a hose in a window just cracked enough. When it starts pouring out the crack, then you start lifting the rig.
That's roughly the weight you are up against doing it per my understanding of what you just proposed.
This is not a personal dig against anyone involved, but please stop now and call the pros. No kidding, this is over your heads, guys.
If I read the above post right, you think you can lift the rig vertically right off the bottom? Ponder this...park a cruiser on the grass, stick a hose in a window just cracked enough. When it starts pouring out the crack, then you start lifting the rig.
That's roughly the weight you are up against doing it per my understanding of what you just proposed.
This is not a personal dig against anyone involved, but please stop now and call the pros. No kidding, this is over your heads, guys.
X2 would be fun to go that far north in general. I think id even drive the 60 just cause i could
- Thread starter
- #47
No we arent lifting it vertically, but thanks for the concerns. I guess it's hard to understand what's going on, but the gist is that we just need it out. Because of the dificult trail that we took to get into the lake, it's pretty much impossible to get a tow truck into it to help. So we are stumped. That's why we are turning to this site. We have had some great ideas and lots of support, thats what we need. Thanks for reading and helping and all the ideas. Please keep them comming. I'm sure that if anyone else had done what we did then they would be trying anything that they could to get ideas and support to.
Thanks
Thanks
Questions you need to have answers to before trying a rescue: What is the bottom like: is it sandy, pebble-y (sp?) or typical VI mixed rock garden? what is the grade of the shoreline to the rig? How is the rig oriented with respect to the shoreline and your winching spots. Unfortunately, the orientation for righting it is 90 degrees out from the the ideal orientation for pulling it out.
I suggest pulling it out of the water from the front with the rear hatches and all windows open would provide the least resistance and best drainage while pulling the rig out.
Priority should probably be on righting it. While it is still on its roof, use a winch to spin the truck to orient it "side to shore". Then hook the winches to the front of the truck, as the winch(es) would likely pull (again, depending on the make-up of the lake bottom) the front end around towards the shore and, hopefully, out of the lake.
I think you need more than one diver on this. Salvage diving is lots of work, especially in the freezing waters in CR.
I suggest pulling it out of the water from the front with the rear hatches and all windows open would provide the least resistance and best drainage while pulling the rig out.
Priority should probably be on righting it. While it is still on its roof, use a winch to spin the truck to orient it "side to shore". Then hook the winches to the front of the truck, as the winch(es) would likely pull (again, depending on the make-up of the lake bottom) the front end around towards the shore and, hopefully, out of the lake.
I think you need more than one diver on this. Salvage diving is lots of work, especially in the freezing waters in CR.
right the truck?
don't know a different way to say "put the truck back on it's wheels"
unless it's not right to be on it's wheels. Ever seen an oil rig move? They use a "pole truck" using leverage to lift shacks etc. straight up (vertical) so it can then be dragged onto a trailer. I'm saying an improvised two pole boom could roll the truck onto it's wheels before attempting to pull it up the bank. As well it may keep the winch vehicle farther from the bank .
don't know a different way to say "put the truck back on it's wheels"
unless it's not right to be on it's wheels. Ever seen an oil rig move? They use a "pole truck" using leverage to lift shacks etc. straight up (vertical) so it can then be dragged onto a trailer. I'm saying an improvised two pole boom could roll the truck onto it's wheels before attempting to pull it up the bank. As well it may keep the winch vehicle farther from the bank . 
the thing is totaled anyways. maybe plant a wreath and watch it grow into a coral reef.....
I dont want to be a pain, but..
worry about your diver...
Diving in a river is not the same as diving in the ocean. there are currents, the boyance is different, and he will be alone....
You guys will be in really big trouble if something goes wrong, be very carefull with the diver, he could get stuck down ther then what?? do yo have a back up Diver?
I agree with getting the pros in there, be carefull. If you make things worse, rip open the fuel tank for example, fisheries will be all over you....
be carefull.
Scott.
worry about your diver...
Diving in a river is not the same as diving in the ocean. there are currents, the boyance is different, and he will be alone....
You guys will be in really big trouble if something goes wrong, be very carefull with the diver, he could get stuck down ther then what?? do yo have a back up Diver?
I agree with getting the pros in there, be carefull. If you make things worse, rip open the fuel tank for example, fisheries will be all over you....
be carefull.
Scott.
little bit of an epa issue there with all the grease and oil. don't know about canada, but here in the usa, the charge was $5000/day after the third day, and that was back in the 80's.
the guy i knew had to hire 9 certified cold water divers, three heavy tow trucks and enough 2x4s and 4x4s to build a house. yours shouldn't be that complicated though...he was deeper, farther out, and under ice.
Ping pong balls and lots of them...
Duude a Diver
Told a Diver friend of mine has experience and all his own gear said he'll do it his e-mail is globalroberts@hotmail.com I wanna be there when ya do this too so keep us informed. Good Luck
Told a Diver friend of mine has experience and all his own gear said he'll do it his e-mail is globalroberts@hotmail.com I wanna be there when ya do this too so keep us informed. Good Luck
- Thread starter
- #58
emailed u
Don't know if you can get a wrecker in where you are talking about, or close to where the truck is under water. Its really going to be tricky on how to right the vehicle. I believe you said it was upside down in the "river". I suspect the biggest problem will be to get the right angle on the truck with your winch line, such that you don't inflict further damage on the truck. I was a wrecker driver a number of years ago. I would try to figure out a way in which to get the vehicel right side up, and proceed from there. I don't know what kind of currents you have there, but the truck may not be in the same place when you go back. You definitley want a heavy vehicle doing the winching. You might consider getting someone up there with a tractor, and or also getting some of the large flat type tie down straps which are good for wrapping around the vehicle and don't do near as much damage as a chain or cable. I've recovered a few vehicles from the lake and river, but as I recall they were mostly right side up.
The good thing about a wrecker is that he can move his boom to keep pressue on the cables, and to change the pull angle. Where on a regular winch on a bumper thats really hard to do. I realize you may have to do what you have to do, with limited resources. Got any friends with a backhoe or small dozer...now may be the time to ask for a favor. SOmething you can tie to that's not going to move. I suspect the truck full of water is going to be a royal pain in the ass to move around.
The good thing about a wrecker is that he can move his boom to keep pressue on the cables, and to change the pull angle. Where on a regular winch on a bumper thats really hard to do. I realize you may have to do what you have to do, with limited resources. Got any friends with a backhoe or small dozer...now may be the time to ask for a favor. SOmething you can tie to that's not going to move. I suspect the truck full of water is going to be a royal pain in the ass to move around.
If there are good sized trees there, even 60' away, anchor your recovery vehicle so you don't have two vehicles in the drink! Flowing water is VERY POWERFUL! A current on the vehicle when you're recovering it could drag the recovery vehicle in too!