Found an Ex in distress...

[ld50]

Went for a little drive today out to Stave lake just to get the bug out. Had to go alone so decided to just stick to the main road and see if a gate was open to let me go farther.

Came around a corner to see a couple young guys and an old truck that there mother had driven there to try and pull them out. I got a little farther and seen this second Gen Explorer had come down the bank to cross this stream and blew it`s two front tires right off the bead. Probably way to fast anyway, not to mention the bumper hit the bank hard and ripped off some of the front dam.

They asked for a hand and of course an Explorer in distress instills a sense of duty in me, I was going to get these guys home no matter what.

They were using a chain hooked to a piece of rope that was tied to the front of the frame somewhere, but I undid all that and hooked my tow strap up to it. We wanted to get it just ten feet or so forward so we could look at the tires.
Sure enough I snapped my tow rope because I hooked it up without ensuring it would not be on anything sharp! I re-tied it and we got him forward a bit.

Turned out one tire was hooped because they had actually gotten into this predicament the night before, and tried rocking it to get it out, the tire was cut open on the side. The other was okay, so we strapped it around the tread with a tie down strap with one of those cinches, they worked one side of the bead on and luckily we managed to get the beads to seat using my little cigarette lighter pump, then he put the good tire on and put the spare on the other side.

The guys mom started handing me twenty bucks and at first I refused but she insisted and mentioned the strap. I figured it would help out when I buy a new one so I took the cash, what the heck, eh!

 

[ld50]

Those poor guys spent the whole night out there but at least they had blankets!

The rest of the drive was uneventful, the gate was closed so we doubled back to the lake, had lunch, then came home.

 

[Blee1099]

What were they out there by themselves w/o anyone knowing about it? Stupid idiots, you never go somewhere off the beaten path w/o letting someone know about it.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Good job!!! Love hearing stories like that.

BTW, the second pic is awesome!! Do you have a bigger version of it??

 

[ld50]

LOL, blee, they actually were camping farther up the logging road but the people they came with didn`t have a good pull vehicle, they didn`t look for them till the morning. Then they went and called his mom to help I guess. Anyway I agree, at least if you`re alone you should be careful.

yeah I got a bigger pic, you want one?

 

[88vert]

I love that pic Did it really matter that it was an ex?You probally would have helped even if it was a j**p

 

[ld50]

No I would have driven by and laughed.
Ha ha, no I would have helped anyone I guess, but I would probably do more for an explorer, well maybe it doesn`t matter which vehicle, it`s the off-road code!

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

I'd love to have a bigger pic of that!!!!!! That would be very nice!!

 

[Crankcase]

Beautiful BC at its finest....

Good job James...

 

[Silverblade]

Should have told them to come here and become elite as a pay back and a thank you. And maybe to learn wtf they are doing and what to be prepared with lol. Good pics.

 

[jimbo74]

at least they were safe and the truck wasnt damaged either.....

 

[old mechanic]

Where did you hook yours & their tow strap up to?
I would have liked to see their faces when you pulled up to help! They must have lit up! Nice gesture!

 

[IAmTodd]

Your a hero!! Wow, blew two tires off the beads. They'd have to be going too fast!!

 

[engera]

Good job. Your right about the Offroad code. I'm glad to hear the tow strap was your only loss and that they were willing to give you something for it. There have been plenty of stories of the rescue vehicle getting f***ed too.

 

[DeRocha]

Great story...having pictures of the event is awesome...BTW the area looks real sweet as well.

 

[410Fortune]

I still cant believe you got the tire back on the rim with the old cinch and strap method, I have tried that before ant it was a PITA on my dads skid steer loader.....

Good job, always help out a fellow wheeler no matter how stupid or out of place they appear to be, because one day you will be the one in need..

Hey at least they had blankets, it could happen to any one of us, and some people just choose to learn the hard way.......

Good job!

 

[ld50]

Where did you hook yours & their tow strap up to?

BUSTED! lol, it broke on my end. My bumpers are raised and I found that I can wrap a strap around my frame so that it comes out under my rear bumper. Things is, if I don`t do it the right way, it can shift and rub on the frame edge that connects the frame behind the bumper, especially if I am angled upwards more than the guy I`m pulling. I tugged quite a few times before it broke, he was kind of snagged on the bank there.
I turned around and tied it to my front towhook, which is how I should have pulled him out in the first place, I learned something too.

I still cant believe you got the tire back on the rim with the old cinch and strap method, I have tried that before ant it was a PITA on my dads skid steer loader.....

Yeah I didn`t think it would work either, he got one side seated, cinched it tighter and stood on the rim while it was pumping up, unseated side up. he made it look easy.