[JeniorNV]

I have seen the topic of using (or not using) chains as a recovery device come up a few times on this forum.

I came across this video and wanted to post it as a reminder to you guys to review and practice safe recovery techniques before you venture out off road.

Know your equipment and how to use it. Use only recovery straps (not chains, not tow straps with metal hooks - recovery straps designed for this purpose) for snatch recoveries. Make sure the tow points on your rig are strong enough for snatch recoveries (they should tie into the vehicle frame). Clear the area of foot traffic in case the strap or tow point breaks (your life isn't worth that great photo op). In some situations it may be appropriate to put a heavy blanket over the strap to prevent it from going airborne as the one in this video did.

CAUTION: Some of you may find the content of the video to be disturbing. It isn't graphic per se, but the claim is that the driver died.

If the video is removed again, here is the original link on LiveLeak: https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=98b_1483576560 (Use caution when browsing LiveLeak's site, particularly if you decide to turn safe mode off. It does contain some graphic content and is a NSFW site.)

 

[TAGS]

I see people always using "projectile" equipment for recovery. Can't count how many times I've seen tow balls as recovery points.

 

[J&JPolangin]

...proper gear should be used for each situation; that was just plain stupid and unnecessary risk.

Hope the Jeep driver actually made it though.

 

[MillerZa75]

Chains are okay BUT they have to be rated for recoveries. You can get recovery rated chains from towing supply companies. It's probably cheaper to just buy a strap.

 

[CaptRussia253]

?

 

[The other Sean]

Chains are okay BUT they have to be rated for recoveries. You can get recovery rated chains from towing supply companies. It's probably cheaper to just buy a strap.

BUT.... you still don't back up and take a running start with a chain.

I couldn't even finish watching that video after the 2nd run at the chain. No. Just, no.

 

[JeniorNV]

Chains are okay BUT they have to be rated for recoveries.

Wrong tool for the job.

There are two ways to recover a vehicle by pulling it out: a simple tug and a snatch recovery.

For a simple tug, the recovery vehicle first slowly lets all the slack out of the line and then drives forward to pull out the stuck vehicle. In this type of recovery, you could probably safely use any type of properly rated static chain/strap/rope, but I'd still argue that a strap is safer than a chain (and it's also lighter and easier to carry).

For a snatch pull, the recovery vehicle begins the recovery by driving forward while there is still a few feet of slack in the line (essentially a running start) like in the video. In this type of recovery, the only safe device to use is a dynamic or kinetic line - a recovery strap or a recovery rope - not a tow chain or a tow strap or a tow rope or anything except a tool that was designed for exactly this purpose. These types of straps will stretch (and absorb all kinds of energy) before breaking - a very important safety feature that a chain does not have. Chains are absolutely not designed for this type of recovery.

Depending on how badly the stuck vehicle is buried and how much of a running start the recovery vehicle has, there can be an awful lot of force behind a snatch pull. Of course, you always want to make sure that your equipment (the strap, as well as the attachment points on each vehicle) are properly rated for the type of recovery you are attempting. But this is an imperfect world and equipment can fail for various reasons. I have seen straps and vehicle tow points break in situations where you wouldn't have expected it.

It's generally a good idea to attempt a simple tug before resorting to a snatch recovery (unless it's painfully obvious that a simple tug has no hope of working), and a snatch recovery should be performed with the least amount of force possible (shizzy and I both used the terms "running start," but don't take that term too literally). The more slack that is in the line before you start and the faster the recovery vehicle is traveling before the slack is taken up, the more force all your equipment is being subjected to and the more dangerous the recovery is.

An off roader should always always always carry a recovery strap or a recovery rope that is designed for snatch recoveries.

 

[JeniorNV]

A couple additional points...this poorly performed recovery could have been made a little safer if: A. A few heavy blankets/jackets/tarps (the heavier the better) were thrown over the chain (probably wouldn't have helped a lot in this particular situation but may have helped absorb a little energy), B. The hood on the stuck vehicle had been up (if you're going to insist on using dangerous equipment and recovery methods, at least protect yourself from this driver's fate), and C. The spectators shouldn't have been standing where they were standing (much farther back and definitely not behind the stuck vehicle, right in the line of fire).

Also, as much as it sucks to abandon a vehicle, there comes a point where you realize your efforts are futile, and continued efforts are not worth the risk. Sometimes the best thing to do is leave the vehicle where it is and come back later once you've gathered up more suitable equipment. I am playing armchair quarterback here, but I think a lot more shoveling and a couple of large rigs with one or two powerful winches could have gotten the stuck rig out much easier and safer.

 

[The other Sean]

A couple additional points...this poorly performed recovery could have been made a little safer if: A. A few heavy blankets/jackets/tarps (the heavier the better) were thrown over the chain (probably wouldn't have helped a lot in this particular situation but may have helped absorb a little energy), B. The hood on the stuck vehicle had been up (if you're going to insist on using dangerous equipment and recovery methods, at least protect yourself from this driver's fate), and C. The spectators shouldn't have been standing where they were standing (much farther back and definitely not behind the stuck vehicle, right in the line of fire).

Also, as much as it sucks to abandon a vehicle, there comes a point where you realize your efforts are futile, and continued efforts are not worth the risk. Sometimes the best thing to do is leave the vehicle where it is and come back later once you've gathered up more suitable equipment. I am playing armchair quarterback here, but I think a lot more shoveling and a couple of big rigs with one or two powerful winches could have gotten the stuck rig out much easier and safer.

D. Stop, calm down and think about the situation. I've seen this time and time again that everyone gets excited and wants to grab straps and start pulling. I have an uncle that any kind of stuck is an immediate emergency. I always have to tell him to "calm the F down!" and we then walk around the vehicle for a minute and assess the situation. The last time when my cousin high centered his Ram just off a gravel road on a dirt berm, my uncle was in panic mode and was terrified of cross traffic, I was calmly walking around the truck and realized one easy tug from my truck would put 3 of my cousin's tires on the ground. As long as my Uncle could watch for traffic (middle of nowhere dirt road BTW) we would be on our way in minutes.

E. Don't be afraid to speak up when you see something dangerous happening or when a dangerous idea is suggested. Same uncle always comments about my straps since they have loops and not hooks. He says hooks are easier than using D rings and I have to speak right up, tell him to leave his strap with hooks in his truck ( I actually comment about the trash) and I am doing it properly or not at all.

 

[JeniorNV]

D. Stop, calm down and think about the situation.

Great advice for any type of emergency situation really. Such as a stove fire (which may or may not have happened to me recently :laugh.

Actually, that's probably not a good analogy because with a fire, you only have a couple seconds at most to pause, take a deep breath, and think rationally before you have to act (you still don't want to panic though because that can lead to bad decisions).

A stuck vehicle is not really an emergency. If it takes you 20 minutes to assess the situation and an hour of shoveling before you even attempt a recovery, so be it. The house might be a total loss if you don't do something fast, but the stuck rig isn't going anywhere.

 

[The other Sean]

It's actually a perfectly fine analogy. I've been around a few near misses with fire. There tends to be those running around screaming while you take a couple of seconds to think and realize you can simply cover the flames or remove most of what is on fire quite easily.

 

[mtyler11]

A couple additional points...this poorly performed recovery could have been made a little safer if: A. A few heavy blankets/jackets/tarps (the heavier the better) were thrown over the chain (probably wouldn't have helped a lot in this particular situation but may have helped absorb a little energy), B. The hood on the stuck vehicle had been up (if you're going to insist on using dangerous equipment and recovery methods, at least protect yourself from this driver's fate), and C. The spectators shouldn't have been standing where they were standing (much farther back and definitely not behind the stuck vehicle, right in the line of fire).

Also, as much as it sucks to abandon a vehicle, there comes a point where you realize your efforts are futile, and continued efforts are not worth the risk. Sometimes the best thing to do is leave the vehicle where it is and come back later once you've gathered up more suitable equipment. I am playing armchair quarterback here, but I think a lot more shoveling and a couple of large rigs with one or two powerful winches could have gotten the stuck rig out much easier and safer.

Its not so much the weight of the object as the 'sail' effect that provides the dampening. Yes a heavy wool blanket works better than lightweight cotton sheets, but a sandbag 3x teh weight of a wool blanket only serves as a projectile.... see this vid...

And coming back with reinforcements is definitely better than using chains, attaching to a ball hitch, or whatever was in the video (it quit working...)

 

[JeniorNV]

I fixed the link for the video in the original post.

 

[IAm_Not_Lost]

Wrong tool for the job.

In this type of recovery, you could probably safely use any type of properly rated static chain/strap/rope, but I'd still argue that a strap is safer than a chain (and it's also lighter and easier to carry).

That was my first thought, who wants to lug around 50lbs of chain when you can go buy a 30ft tow strap/snatch strap anywhere from $20 to $50 bucks that weighs 5lbs and takes up little room.

E. Don't be afraid to speak up when you see something dangerous happening or when a dangerous idea is suggested.

Absolutely, in the field I work in it's called a "time out", and we do it just prior to any significant procedure. The best people I know are ones who aren't afraid to speak up and delay the event.