Keep your distance

[inspectorwoody]

The second happened at 1:46 p.m. near the intersection of 225th Street and NN Avenue in rural Williamsburg.  A group of hunters were trying to free a pickup from being stuck in the snow when the tow strap failed.  Part of the strap struck Gerome Miller, 63, of Marengo, killing him.

www.kwwl.com

I think it is safe to say we have all been stuck or helped someone who is and stood in the fire line making sure everything stays in place.

A sad reminder to put a safe distance between us and our work.

Be safe out there. 

[Magicman]

We think chain or cable, but tow strap.  Wow. 

[Burlkraft]

MM .....Stay away from all straps!

[Magicman]

I remember a strap that my Dad had.   :-\

[WildDog]

There was a young bloke killed over here in the last couple of months during a vehicle extraction, I think the shackle came back through the window.

The last 4WD course work put us through we had 10 vehicles, 5 teams of 2 on Coffs Harbour beach bogged in soft sand ready for a snatchem strap exercise. The instructors handed out the straps, mine and my partners came fresh out of the box, then we hooked em up left the loose snaked slack in the middle. We were last to go and watched the other teams take of hard in low 2nd and snatch each other up. Then it was our turn, I took off then bang my head hit the side pillar and my partner hurt his neck. It definatley wasn't the nice spring we were used to or the ones  we witnesed with the other 4WDs. The instructors came over and couldn't understand what happened, my partner red the box, instead of snatchum strap it said "Tow strap"  :(

[sandhills]

This summer while unloading a horse from a horse trailer I was standing in front of her untying the lead rope when she pulled back and snapped the rope just before I got it lose and the clip on her halter broke.  It snapped back and went through my bottom lip and that was a small (8-900lb) horse.  I never have liked tow ropes and can't imagine the force one would have breaking while pulling out a 5000lb vehicle.  Be careful!

[Burlkraft]

Bet that made for a fat lip!

[clww]

Any time I'm using the winch cable or my inch and a half pulling rope, I drape an old moving blanket over it. If it breaks (twice in 20 years), this absorbs the majority of the shock. It also slows down a cable hook if it breaks loose from the tree. Another thing I've done on my winch control cable was to add an extra 15 feet of wiring. I stand WAY off to the side when it's under tension.