Another snatching death.

[BruceandBobbi]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/man-killed-by-snapped-strap-while-trying-to-tow-mate-on-beach-20170615-gws7am.html

[Kumabear]

:/

Wonder what happened... the story there doesn't really make much sense with the small amount of detail they gave.

[nj swb]

Sad news.

I agree that the story doesn't quite make sense, but it's probably written by a journo who has no idea of the difference between tow and snatch.

Think deeply bogged in soft sand and one heroic attempt at snatching without proper precautions?

[symo]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/tributes-for-man-who-died-trying-to-help-a-mate-on-central-queensland-beach-20170616-gwt1so.html

It was a tragic four-wheel-driving accident, which claimed the life of a young man "with so much more to live" on Thursday evening.

A towing strap smashed through the back window of the 4WD being driven by 26-year-old Chris Poulsen, hitting him in the head at a central Queensland beach.

At the time of the accident, the Yeppoon man was trying to rescue a friend's 4WD after it became bogged in the sand on Farnborough Beach at Bangalee, near Yeppoon.

Initial investigations suggest a tow point on the bull bar of the car being towed broke, causing the towing strap to fly through the back window of Mr Poulsen's car and hit him.

[06PAJ]

Would a weighted bag on the tow strap resulted in a different outcome ?

[Hatto]

Would a weighted bag on the tow strap resulted in a different outcome ?

Yes I'd say it definitely would. Such a shame, because for a measly $50 dampener that young bloke would possible still be here

[Peterng]

Very very sad.
Vague media detail and assumptions are just clouding the issue and creating speculation.
The corners report and investigations will shed some light on this incident.
Just a bloody waste..
Damn..



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kumabear]

Yeah really sad :/

[Wazzap]

Yes I'd say it definitely would. Such a shame, because for a measly $50 dampener that young bloke would possible still be here

Has anyone here actually experienced a winch cable or snatch strap break while a dampener was on it? I'd be interested to know how well they work in practise - have a couple and will always use them, but can't recall ever seeing one (even a video) on a broken strap.

Would be good if someone like unsealed 4x4 could do this in their destruction testing - video what happens when the strap breaks with a dampener on it vs one without.

Edit: So I found a video of some guys in the states destruction testing straps, and even using a 10 pound bag of sand on the middle of the strap did nothing - the strap and the bag of sand still hit the other vehicle with quite a bit of force! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0-p_o91f7Y The only thing they did that seemed to work (on 1 out of 2 tests anyway, so no guarantees) was to have a 2nd arresting strap sewed to the snatch strap, and attached to each vehicle.

[Drewan]

Broke several when I was in the Army (kinda broke most things) have seen them just break and spring back a little, and break and go into full attack mode. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it, just luck of the draw

[GHendo]

I had a snatch strap break once when we tried to pull my old backhoe out of a bog – the strap just sprung back a bit and fell to the ground. I think the problem arises when things like D-Shackles on the end of the straps break – they are catapulted through the air with the strap acting like a slingshot.

Geoff

[stumagoo]

While this is most definately a bad scenario and I feel for the family and others involved I have seen 3 versions of what broke in this story

1 tow rope being used to snatch
2 snatch strap broke
3 snatched off bull bar and bull bar broke

2 of these scenarios are poor technique and 1 is (assuming good gear) bad luck. But worst of all is the fact that the media is presenting at least 2 stories that are misleading and feeding the frenzy that is social media and keyboard warriors. I have seen an old snatch strap break (only a few weeks ago) and we did indeed have a dampener on it but as it was the strap that broke there was no weighted object on the end (eg tow ball) and there is no way it would gone through a window. In fact it did not even recoil as far back as the dampener.

I truely wish there was more accuracy in the reporting because I feel we are all commenting here on something that is near on urban legend - it could be true but who knows (again not the tragic death but the cause)

[Ent]

The general poor quality of reporting makes rational analysis impossible. In Tassie a couple recent tragic deaths have been snatching on the towball which broke off and was catapulted through a window hitting a person in the head.

The forces involved are massive with a mate seeing a recovery vehicle backing up to almost bumpers touching then the recovery vehicle travelling at the maximum speed it could muster only to be overtaken by the bullbar from the vehicle being "recovered". Luck meant no one was hurt or killed.

Saw a 4x4 show where the snatching vehicle was not straight on so it got pull to one side with the Landcruiser 76 winding up on its side.

Many years ago before familiar with 4x4s I was snatched out of sand by a 4x4 when taking the helm after a friend had bogged their 4x2 BT50 on a sandy track. A gentle tow would have been sufficient but instead junior took off at a great rate and I was propelled with great force.

I think the problem is no great database of knowledge on how to snatch. I know I am learning so doing it gently. In sand probably prefer Maxitrax recoveries or more a tow than a snatch.

There is an argument that a second rope should be attached to both vehicles so if something breaks loose it gets stopped. I use a snatch blanket but wonder really how effective they are. Sounds like you have a mixed bag of results with them.

[ticky]

I also dont have a huge amount of 4WDing experience, but fortunately for me, some SA blokes on here have taken me under their wing. While I may not know a lot compared to a lot of others, I am confident that everything I have learned so has been been from 1st class teachers.

I have only been stuck once so far and I was winched out. I have had a set of MaxTrax and a couple of Snatch Straps for a couple of years now and never had to use them. Im sort of looking forward to the day when I do so I can learn to use them properly from people that know.

Steve

[Apollo]

Living near Fraser Island/Inskip Point, you get to see some crazy attempts of recovery. Seen a few towbar snatches end badly. There is a you tube channel called 'I got bogged at Inskip'. Plenty of cringe worthy footage there too. I have been dragged out and done the dragging out a few times. I usually use three blankets (one a few metres in from either end and in the middle) just in case and yes they do work very well. Surprising how effective a beach towel is as a dampener.