Thread: Another injury from an incorrectly used snatch strap

I don't care how much longer it takes, I will always use my winch over a snatch it there is an object to attach the cable to.

However the winch is only good for a forward pull and from what I have read the vehicle in the case being discussed was being pulled out backwards,
same scenario as the one in Tassie a few years back where someone was killed.

Originally Posted by Tote

I'm doubtful that club members are usually the ones who get themselves into trouble, Certainly the club that I belong to is pretty strong on safe recoveries. I suspect that it is usually the people who get themselves an old 4wd and think that they are bulletproof that are the ones who take the risks and a large number of these people don't join clubs and benefit from any form of organised training.

Regards,
Tote

I am not a member of any 4wd club. I have been, but got sick of the politicking and left.

The majority of 4wders choose not to be in clubs and that is their right. I do agree however that there needs to be something done to educate newcomers to 4wding in the do's and don'ts of recovery.

I'm really not sure how this can be instituted or enforced, but membership of a club is not the entire answer imho.

My apologies to all. I Have just discussed this subject with my Brother who is an Engineer and he confirms that JDNSW is correct. Although steel will return to to its original shape more quickly, it can only deform to a tiny distance and so cannot store as much energy. Further to that he has pointed out that a chain has a much greater mass and therefor will be harder for the stored energy to move.
So once again I apologise and hope that those who started reading this discussion are still reading. I will endeavour not to go off half cocked again.
Cheers Billy.

I was at ARB Penrith today (the incident happened in the Penrith City Council area) and the ARB chap said he'd been told they didn't use a rated recovery point but a towing point.

All hearsay at this time. I'll check this week's local papers for any stories.

I have chains and a snatch strap. Many years ago when I was very green (not much has changed) I attempted a snatch recovery using techniques taught when I did a recovery course with the Land Cruiser club (I was a 55 Series LC owner back then). I attempted to recover the 55 with my first Rangie.

I took a long run to get up speed as we'd been shown and the strap snapped. Fortunately just the strap.

I called my B-I-L and he came out with his GQ Patrol and just gently pulled the 55 out. No snatching required. Had I approached it in the same way with the Rangie, I'd have got the 55 out, too. I don't think I've used a snatch strap since.

Anybody catch The Project tonight, even the professional get it wrong as they hooked up the probably the weakest point on the dual can ute.

Originally Posted by wardy1

I am not a member of any 4wd club. I have been, but got sick of the politicking and left.

The majority of 4wders choose not to be in clubs and that is their right. I do agree however that there needs to be something done to educate newcomers to 4wding in the do's and don'ts of recovery.

I'm really not sure how this can be instituted or enforced, but membership of a club is not the entire answer imho.

The reason I joined a club many years ago was to get experience and training, I agree that people shouldnt have to join a club, that sort of regulation does not achieve anything. Maybe just attaching some detailed instructions to the snatch strap as a sewn on piece of fabric would help. Snatch straps get used as they are the fastest way to get a vehicle recovered and on its way, people don't like using shovels if they percieve that they don't have to and novice 4wd enthusiasts often don't have the money for a winch.

Regards,
Tote

Originally Posted by Tote

Snatch straps get used as they are the fastest way to get a vehicle recovered and on its way, people don't like using shovels if they percieve that they don't have to and novice 4wd enthusiasts often don't have the money for a winch.

Regards,
Tote

I don't have a winch or a snatch strap but I do have a shovel and a willingness to use it. I did a 4wd course and they did a snatch recovery using our vehicle as the bogged vehicle. It was professionally done and we were all instructed on the way to set-up a snatch recovery but for me when you read about stories like the one in this thread things can and do go wrong.

I also generally travel solo so I need to be able to recover myself and if I'm recovering a strangers vehicle I don't know the state of it or how robust their recovery points are so I'm not prepared to do it.

When our son got his ute bogged at Christmas in Denmark it took us about 2 hours and a lot of digging to get it off the beach but we did it so its not impossible if your prepared to do the work.

Hi There,
When you go out with a club or an organised 4wd event you are much more likely to abide by the rules and use gear as it was designed to be used. the Police report says the guys were trespassing on private property and became bogged.

When you are in a place you are not supposed to be and potentially breaking the law this places additional stresses on the people involved, not to mention any gear they can find to get themselves out of the situation they are in.

I very much doubt at the time they became bogged did the difference between a tow point and a recovery point really matter, all they wanted to do was get out as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately someone got injured, not only that but this stretches out to families who will no doubt be concerned for their loved ones, add to that more than likely they didn't know where they were or what they were up to.

They put pictures of "munted" lungs and other various internal organs on cigarette packets, doesn't stop people smoking, might think about the consequences for a poofteeth of a second and then light up.

I hope the young man pulls through, I feel for the parents.