A Rescue on the Ridge

Saturday, August 17th, 2024, at 3:33 p.m. (PT), we received a request for help with an offroad recovery in California. The requester, Keith Erickson, submitted the following information: “Vehicle jeep stuck in a rough terrain with no traction and needs somebody with a winch or kinetic rope to help / I’m with the vehicle.”

We contacted Keith minutes after receiving the request, confirmed his contact information and GPS location, and requested some photos before submitting the request to local volunteers within a 40-mile radius.

After submitting the request, Keith mentioned he had already tried to contact a local offroad towing service, but he was not sure they could help him. From the volunteers we contacted, we had Christopher Pachal, who was 50+ miles away, marking himself as engaging and, right away, contacting Keith to offer help.

A few minutes later, at 6:00 p.m., Christopher announced in our lobby: “Ok, I just spoke with Keith; he does have a tow truck company that said they can recover him. I’m heading out anyway, as I’ve seen the tow truck companies walk away from this area. The worst case is I get there and he is recovered, best case I there and the tow truck company backs out“

By 9:00 p.m., Christopher updated us that Keith was out and safe, and the towing company got him out. However, we know from Keith that Christopher made it there, and it also helped get him out. (offroad recovery in California)

We want to thank Christopher for driving there and helping. This was an excellent display of voluntarism.

A bit more we want to share:

Based on our initial conversation with Keith, I thought it would be helpful to share some background information. Keith mentioned the following: “To be clear, the vehicle itself is fine, but I got into a part of the trail where I can’t go forward and I can’t go back.”

He also mentioned that this was a stock Jeep, and he was by himself and did not have much experience. He said: “I called 8 tow companies. They told me to call 911. I’m calling them now, but I’m in a tough spot”, Saturday, August 17 2024, 3:19 PM.I’m calling them now, but I’m in a tough spot.”

Keith shared: “The problem is that I was on a simple level 3 trail that wasn’t documented as ending at a level 8 trail. So I can’t go forward because I’ll roll it over and I can’t go back because I can’t get back up the mountain. 911 is trying to call around and find a rescue team, but the general consensus is that there isn’t any.”

Key Takeaways for Success

When exploring new trails, avoid going alone, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area or lack extensive experience.

If you would like to receive a text message when we get a request near you, create your account here: offroadportal.org/signup