S A F E T Y
We've all read many articles warning of certain hazards when traveling on our public lands. Our club has
been particularly aware of open mine shafts since, on every excursion, we encounter them close to or near our routes of travel. For
the past two years, we have been working with our local BLM offices by GPSing these sites and getting word to BLM so they can check
them out and add warning signs in addition to fencing off the shafts. In December 2007 on an easy club pre-run, the above photo depicts
what happened. Report follows. [Ed]
TEAMWORK SAVES THE DAY
Report by Sue Haak, photo by Jessica Badgett
Normally a report is not done on a pre-run, but this one was unusual and is of benefit for the rest of the club.
Our run began like any other run. The first issue we had was being able to find the trail. After passing it twice, Ken set out to
locate it and did. Ken is the person with the least vision who got us on our way. We were working our way backwards on the Crazy 8
run when we followed a road up a canyon toward a mine. Unfortunately, we found it was a dead end and we needed to turn around. While
the rest of us were turning around, Paull and passenger Court decided to follow the road up to the digging which was just a short
distance. Shortly afterward, we could hear Court on the CB saying that they had found the mine shaft and that they were in trouble.
We turned around immediately and could only see the back of Paull's Jeep pointing up on top of a ridge. Doug made a beeline to the
top, followed quickly by Dan, to find Paull's Jeep in a nosedive, barely balancing on the edge of the mineshaft. The right front tire
was turned sideways against the front wall and the right rock slider prevented him from going completely over. Only by inches!
The shaft was big enough for a vehicle to fall in without touching the sides and was about 60 feet deep. Doug instantly assessed the
situation, hopped out of his Jeep and immediately ran the winch-line out to secure the back of Paull's Jeep. We then proceeded to
inch him back out. It appeared for a time that he might tip as the Jeep broke free of the shaft.
With some
good reverse driving by Paull, he was able to keep the Jeep upright. The front tires though, were not pointing in the same direction.
He had broken a tie rod. The guys (Paull, Court, Gavin, Doug and Dan) worked together to fix the problem and got the Jeep back on
the road. We were all able to continue down the trail and get Paull on his way back home.
Among the safety
issues: It showed how important it is not to leave your group even for a few seconds. This accident happened within a couple of minutes.
Had we been farther down the trail, we may not have heard the call for help. This run showed how dangerous the open mine shafts are
that dot our hills. We all felt afterward, that Dan could have hooked onto Doug's Jeep with a strap as an anchor. Doug's Jeep slid
all four wheels about 1 1/2 feet while winching Paull's Jeep. If Paull's Jeep had slid further in, we may not have been able to hold
him. We are very grateful for the happy ending. The rest of the run went well. This is an area that we would like to revisit
someday because of all the past mining activity. The day was finished at Vito's (a local restaurant). Sue
The above is one of many reasons we NEVER travel alone when out exploring our beautiful desert and historic sights.
A report with GPS coordinates procured by Doug Haak, was E-mailed to Len Marceau, Kingman BLM that evening. The response from Len
was immediate! We heard from Diane Williams, Havasu BLM, and Paul Misiaszek, BLM Geologist, that it would be fenced the next day -
weather permitting, but, Mother Nature botched up the plans and instead, provided our parched desert with buckets of rain. We're happy
to report that the fencing and warning signs were installed within a week, just as soon as it was dry enough. Looks great and is very
reassuring. Keep sending the mine shaft and GPS coordinates to Len. Your help may save a life!!! BLM is working on the fencing and
signage of all abandoned mine shafts close to existing roads and trails in Mohave County.
Cooperation is a
very good thing! [Ed]
Reporting such tragic accidents is like a blow to the heart when we lose our "own." Even though we didn't know these two
terrific young men, from what I've read about them on the Arizona Virtual Jeep Club, and the Pirate's websites, they were
admired by so many, and great friends to all who had the privilege of knowing them. Both, loved the sport and were great spokesmen
for us, thus, they would have wanted their fellow wheelers to learn from their needless deaths.The accidents
occurred in June/July, 2008. [Ed]
Kevin - 28 years old. From friend Clay: "Unfortunately, Kevin's rig rolled off a steep
embankment on our last night run Sunday night. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from his buggy and crushed multiple times.
When Mike and I got to him, we pushed the buggy off his leg and and tried to keep him conscious. Mike went to get cell phone reception
while I stayed with Kevin. Two hours later an EVAC chopper landed and worked on Kevin for about 45 minutes, most of that
getting him up the embankment. Kevin went into cardiac arrest twice during this time but the medics kept working on him on his flight
to the Tucson UMC hospital. Doctors could not stop the internal bleeding but did the best they could. Very sad and hard on everyone
this weekend."
(Recent photo of Kevin from the Arizona Virtual Jeep Club Website)
EVERYONE, PLEASE!!! WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS, EVEN WHEN GETTING YOUR RIG ON OR OFF THE TRAILER!!!
Tom - 27 years old. From friend Larry:"He had just filled the tranny and wanted to run it through the field across the street. He was simply going to drive it down the
street and back. He wasn't in the car for more than five minutes. He has always had a habit of pulling fast U-turns and making the
rear end fishtail around, something we've done hundreds of times. This time the ground was not as loose and the tires hooked up too
well, or, he oversteered more than usual. Whatever the case, the car started to roll. He was a little less than a hundred yards away
from me, and facing away. As it went over I saw his arm come out of the car as if he was trying to catch himself. I jumped in
my truck and flew down expecting to find him with a broken arm. I never expected to see what I saw next, I won't go into graphic detail,
but I can say for sure it was instantaneous and there was no suffering."
From Jack, Arizona Rock Rats: "The cage crushed Tom's
head. He was not wearing a seatbelt. He was 27 and from some of the posts on Pirate he seemed to live a fun life and loved what he
did. There are also some threads over there about wearing helmets to prevent rollbar strikes with your head. I am sure everyone here
who has a rollcage, has hit their head on it at least once. And, Bill you are right my friend. Even the Hannah Montana helmet Ryan
bought me at Wal-Mart helped me on Saturday night. Sure enough I took a cage shot right off the head on an obstacle and got out thinking
that sure was nice, not bouncing my melon on the cage.
And from Tom's family: "Please, Please, Please - if anything good can
come out of this tragic accident - wear your seat belts all the time and drive within safe limits."
You should know that from
all the posts I've read, both of these fellows were sticklers for wearing their
seatbelts and safety gear! It just takes an instant
for things to go wrong! Drinking was NOT involved. [Ed]
Pack
A Fire Extinguisher So You Don’t Get Burned
July 15, 2008
Tom Severin, President
Badlands Off Road Adventures, Inc
4-Wheel Drive
School
310-374-8047 - http://www.4x4training.com
Four-wheelers are good about
packing their vehicles with tools, tow straps, winch, food, water - you name it; they include it.
One
piece of equipment that often gets overlooked, however, happens to be one of the more critical items: a fire extinguisher. Remember
that a fire could occur inside or outside your vehicle. Ever wonder what you’d do if your campfire or stove got out of hand? Or, if
your engine compartment started smoking? You may never experience a fire–and I hope you don’t–but if you do, you’ll be thankful you
packed an extinguisher. Many smaller fires can be snuffed out quickly and safely.
Extinguishers come
in many sizes. I’ve found the 3 lb. size adequate for vehicles. Buy two high-quality refillable models. You’ll spend a few extra dollars,
but it’ll be worth it. Think of a fire extinguisher as an insurance policy. You don’t want to cut corners there.
Mount one on the passenger side of the transmission tunnel. The other should be mounted in a visible spot on or near the back gate.
The key here is that it is accessible. Too many people mount or place their extinguishers under boxes or other stuff in the back.
It won’t do you any good if you can’t grab it quickly.
Another good spot, especially on smaller vehicles,
is on the roll bar. Regardless of where you mount the extinguishers, make sure to review their locations and use with your passengers
before departing.
Fire extinguishers come in a variety of types depending on their use. We’ll review
only the more common ones here. (For more information, go to www.tvfr.com/dept/fm/extinguishers/index.html.) I’d like to thank my
friends at Outdoor Adventure USA (www.oausa.net) for all their helpful comments.
Dry chemical – The most popular
form for personal use, these are given a letter rating depending on the type of fire
they are designed for. Make sure your extinguisher is rated ABC. That way it can be used on all types of fires, including
fuel and electrical.
Advantages:
They are easy to operate and will work on all types of fires, if you select the proper model.
Disadvantages: Once discharged, even for a short burst, they must be recharged. The pressure drops and you’ve lost
a certain amount of chemical. The nozzle can clog over time, rendering it useless (especially if you’ve discharged
some chemical). Inspect the extinguisher regularly for obvious signs of clogging, but also take it in to an appropriate
facility
for inspection at least once a year. Make sure to keep the tag on the bottle so you know when it was last
inspected. Finally, the dry chemical is rather corrosive, and may harm sensitive electronic equipment. Make sure you
thoroughly clean anything that has been hit with the chemical.
Halon – A very effective agent, but production has been banned due to its effect on the ozone layer. With only limited
supplies left, Halon extinguishers
are becoming harder to find and more expensive.
Advantage: Said to be great on suppressing fires. Because it’s a gas, it leaves no
residue.
Disadvantages: Expensive and difficult to find, and it disperses easily in windy conditions. Best used in enclosed spaces.
Halotron® - Marketed
as a safer alternative to Halon, this gas is said to be very effective in outdoor applications.
Advantage: Leaves no residue.
Disadvantages:
Apparently geared more toward industrial applications, Halotron extinguishers aren’t as readily available. May be more expensive,
too.
CO2 – A colorless, odorless gas, CO2 works by smothering the fire. Literally taking away the oxygen.
Advantages: Fairly effective
in enclosed spaces and doesn’t leave a residue.
Disadvantage: Be careful when using, as the CO2 can affect you as well.
Final
note: If you have Mag wheels, DO NOT spray water on them should they start burning. You’ll cause an explosion. Use a Class D extinguisher
if you have one, or let the fire department handle it. You can find more information on Class D extinguishers on the Web page mentioned
above or through a quick Web search.
As you can see, an ABC-rated dry chemical extinguisher is
probably your best bet. But what’s most important is that you have extinguishers aboard. Inspect your vehicle now and install an extinguisher
if you don’t already have one.
