sandrail crash 12-14-08

[desertskyz]

That is the side of the dunes where we go, almost everytime, for out first run out. I personally hate it over there. It always :ah: the :poop: out of me. Dan likes to (warm up) over there. He has know problem with it. Boy, I sure do. Maybe cause of what I saw back in '06.

[RUn2it]

yo Lee...are you in to it?

Pete, I am in to it but the motorhome isn't , coolant in the oil, but should be ret 2 go in a few days. Was thinking (uh-oh ...) Wonder if a short basic "Dumont survival guide" would be of use, what someone would/should tell somebody on their 1st trip into the dunes. Some things seem 2nd nature to seasoned duners, like knowing the bottom can drop out when you're going up a dune with the wind at your back, the sand blows over the crest giving the illusion the hill keeps going or being familiar with a quick engine kill when you have the throttle stick wide open the 1st time in your life. I've seen plenty of medivacs from just those 2 examples. I'm sure everyone can relate to an accident where you think "if only they would have ...!", and those who have passengers or are leading a group have an obligation, acknowledged or not that exceeds their own safety, if you know what I mean. Just a thought.

[dunefreak]

Pete, I am in to it but the motorhome isn't , coolant in the oil, but should be ret 2 go in a few days. Was thinking (uh-oh ...) Wonder if a short basic "Dumont survival guide" would be of use, what someone would/should tell somebody on their 1st trip into the dunes. Some things seem 2nd nature to seasoned duners, like knowing the bottom can drop out when you're going up a dune with the wind at your back, the sand blows over the crest giving the illusion the hill keeps going or being familiar with a quick engine kill when you have the throttle stick wide open the 1st time in your life. I've seen plenty of medivacs from just those 2 examples. I'm sure everyone can relate to an accident where you think "if only they would have ...!", and those who have passengers or are leading a group have an obligation, acknowledged or not that exceeds their own safety, if you know what I mean. Just a thought.

Right on. That sounds like a great idea kinda like our dune ettiquete guide. Might have to start on something like that.

Hope to see ya out there sooner than later.

[NE14SAND]

those pics or all the pics i have DONT do it justice! after being there in person and climbing up and down that dune a time or two THEY WERE LUCKY!! that cage did its job!!! sad day for a SWEET ride!

[Foxysandchick]

They were extremely lucky and that car held up fantastic!!! None of the pics do it justice, being there and hearing the story while standing there is the only way to understand, other than being a 1st hand witness of course. With 5 point belts they probably would have walked away uninjured and that is amazing.

Here is the link to the video of the car being pulled out...OPPS I changed it, I dunno how to use youtube :blonde:

Edited December 18, 2008 by Foxysandchick

[sand chick]

They were extremely lucky and that car held up fantastic!!! None of the pics do it justice, being there and hearing the story while standing there is the only way to understand, other than being a 1st hand witness of course. With 5 point belts they probably would have walked away uninjured and that is amazing.

Here is the link to the video of the car being pulled out...

Link doesn't work for me?? Just takes me to youtube

[RUn2it]

Link doesn't work for me?? Just takes me to youtube

It takes you to youtube but says it's a private video and requires an account (username/password) to view

[NE14SAND]

lucky 4 sure and a WELL BUILT car!!!!!!!!!

[NE14SAND]

no one has posted an updated status of driver or pasanger? i hope all is well with them. LUCKY guys 4 sure

[Just Mike]

I think they are ok. I haven't talked to the driver yet but a friend of mine has. Just banged up a bit.

[More To Hate]

That sucks Looks Familiar I Feel Your Pain But Cars Can be replaced Life can't Glad to hear everyones OK

[che che DD]

hey guys sorry it took so long for the update. Zues the driver and owner of the rail had surgery on his knee the night they went to the hospital and the passinger has a broken finger.. Other than that I think they are both O.K

[RUn2it]

a 5 point harness in the front is the best insurance for the knees. Yes, I'm ranting again but can't help it.

Welcome...

Pic #30 is basically where they went over but to the right a little. That pic is where they are starting to pull it out of the hole after they flipped it back over. Richie got it running and drove it to the edge of that wall then hooked it up to the truck, he drove the rail out while someone pulled with his truck. I have video of that part, just have to figure out how to load it tomorrow.

Just noticed this..... this is how a guy died after rolling his rail and not injured. As the rail was being towed up and over the top of a bowl the tow strap dug into the sand then when the front wheels cleared the crest the frame was pulled into the sand, had a thin aluminum floor, the floor peeled back under the car, pegged the throttle and launched out of the bowl, passed the tow vehicle with the guy screaming, his legs dragging UNDER the rail and his chest smashed against the steering wheel till he ran out of tow strap slack. At that point the rail snaps a 180, nearly rolling the tow rail, then starts rolling across the face of the dune below the tow rail, hanging from the tow strap like a pendulum on a grandfather clock, with the guy halfway out of the TOP of the rail, 4-5 times the rail rolled over him. BESIDES THE "NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE" STUCK WIDE OPEN THROTTLE THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO HAVE A KILL SWITCH CLOSE AND EASY TO HIT WITH A HAND! The best is a big pull and twist to run/ push (slap) to stop, and always belt up, but just my opinion

[dunefreak]

hey guys sorry it took so long for the update. Zues the driver and owner of the rail had surgery on his knee the night they went to the hospital and the passinger has a broken finger.. Other than that I think they are both O.K

Thanks for teh update, Charity. Glad to hear they are both ok.

a 5 point harness in the front is the best insurance for the knees. Yes, I'm ranting again but can't help it.

Just noticed this..... this is how a guy died after rolling his rail and not injured. As the rail was being towed up and over the top of a bowl the tow strap dug into the sand then when the front wheels cleared the crest the frame was pulled into the sand, had a thin aluminum floor, the floor peeled back under the car, pegged the throttle and launched out of the bowl, passed the tow vehicle with the guy screaming, his legs dragging UNDER the rail and his chest smashed against the steering wheel till he ran out of tow strap slack. At that point the rail snaps a 180, nearly rolling the tow rail, then starts rolling across the face of the dune below the tow rail, hanging from the tow strap like a pendulum on a grandfather clock, with the guy halfway out of the TOP of the rail, 4-5 times the rail rolled over him. BESIDES THE "NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE" STUCK WIDE OPEN THROTTLE THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO HAVE A KILL SWITCH CLOSE AND EASY TO HIT WITH A HAND! The best is a big pull and twist to run/ push (slap) to stop, and always belt up, but just my opinion

holy crap. That's like some chit you'd see on that Final Destination movie. Thats horrible. When did this happen, Lee?

[RUn2it]

Thanks for teh update, Charity. Glad to hear they are both ok.

holy crap. That's like some chit you'd see on that Final Destination movie. Thats horrible. When did this happen, Lee?

It happened around 1988. It happened about 10:am in the bowl with arrows, the vert arrow is where the rail exited the bowl, the horiz arrow is approx how high the bowl use to be. I was flying around watching it happen. I thought 'Why is he trying to pull him up 1 side while he is going down the other?'. This was before cell phones and the guy was hurt bad so I flew out to the Highway hoping to see a CHP but nothing, so I did this trick I learned to lose alt, kind of a flat spin, stall 1 wing and spiral down fast and landed. a minute later a CHP pulled up, was parked up at the Harry Wade marker and thought I crashed. Told him I wasn't a Dr but if he called for a medivac helo I'd still be surprised if the guy survived. Medivac landed at noon, departed 1pm, the guy layed in Barstow ER till MIDNITE!!!!!!!!!!! Hospital said wasn't life threatening so he could be taken to some hospital that took his insurance, and he died in route. This is the crash I always refer to as the "crash, walk away unhurt and then get killed towing rail back to camp". That's why I rant all the time. Ever see the results of a crash where 2 guys beat the crap out of each other, the endo is so violent their inboard arms are thrashing each other and the outboard arms are getting rolled over, that's the 'grab the shoulder belt' rant. Again, sorry for the rant but seems tragic that we go to Dumont for "fun" and end up leaving bleeding, broken and worse, not to mention the mental trauma the family and friends go through.

[Foxysandchick]

That area in the pics looks exactly like where those guys died back on Halloween 06 in the buggy.

Jim and I went back there last weekend and checked out the area, we figured out this is not the same hole as the 06 incident. We found the witches eye from that incident and it is actually much bigger, but is nearby. That entire area back there was full of holes and pretty dangerous, hopefully the dunes are better for NYE.

hey guys sorry it took so long for the update. Zues the driver and owner of the rail had surgery on his knee the night they went to the hospital and the passinger has a broken finger.. Other than that I think they are both O.K

Awesome, thanks for the update

Just noticed this..... this is how a guy died after rolling his rail and not injured.

That is a scary story. Did you happen to check out the video after I updated the link?

I think they were pretty safe in this incident during the recovery and the tow to camp. A safety guide is a fantastic idea also .

[RUn2it]

That is a scary story. Did you happen to check out the video after I updated the link?

I think they were pretty safe in this incident during the recovery and the tow to camp. A safety guide is a fantastic idea also .

Just saw the video, that rail probably has a 1/4" or so floor and the strap stayed off the sand, as long as you know where the kill switch is and can reach it. The rail retrieval fatal I saw,the bowl was steep on both sides and the tow rope cut into the top of the sand and compressed the front of the rail, which was a VW with a beam front so it's low to start with. I saw a fatal at comp one night probably 25 years ago, a guys buggy engine quit toward the top on the left side, he got out and muscled the front around and jumped in coasting slow and when he got close to the bottom he turned it at an angle a little and must have hit the brake but for some reason it started to tip slow motion to the right and it keeped going till it dumped the guy out the top and rolled over on top of him and poof, he was gone. A seat belt would have saved him.