Stuck with OEM tires in soggy ground

Wednesday, April 30th, 2025, at 9:29 a.m. (ET), we received a request for help with an offroad recovery in Maine. The requester, Benjamin T Frueh, submitted the following information: “2023 Tacoma 4×4 4cyl, OEM shit tires, low soggy blueberry ground. Too soggy for a tow truck – a 4×4 truck with a winch would do the job. Truck is on the frame with 3 wheels spinning. I have Maxtrax traction boards, but no luck yet. I am currently at my in-laws a few miles away. This is absolutely not an emergency, but I found your site and am giving it a shot. / I’m not with the vehicle / I can help cover the cost of fuel.”

Our administrator, David Mrak, contacted the requester and verified the contact information provided, GPS location, and current situation before sending the request to local volunteers. In this particular recovery, we contacted volunteers within a 45-mile radius.

Although we didn’t get much information after the recovery, we know from the group of contacted volunteers, Dustin Bowden is the one who took over the request and jumped into action saving the day.

Later Ben, the requester sent us a few photos and note we share below.

From Ben

My clay-pigeon-shooting outing with my son in Downeast Maine was cut short when I buried my stock Tacoma SR 4WD in the mud up to the axles. Maxtrax traction boards and digging didn’t work. A local tow outfit told me to get a helicopter.

I then found the Off-Road Recovery Portal through a Google search, submitted a request, and Dustin volunteered to help me. He was awesome, taught me a lot, and had me out in short order. As the shirt in the online store says, “Bad decisions make great stories”. Thanks to Dustin, and thanks to the Off-Road Recovery Portal!