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THE BIG "WEDGIE"
Colorado State Patrol calls. "We are in need of your special services. We have a vehicle, nose down in the river about 5 miles south on Elk Creek Rd just past Kincaid, Do you have a truck available?" As always, the answer was a resounding YES! and off I went in search of another fun Sunday afternoon. Upon arrival, I found a ranger pickup was indeed nose down in the river, but no one told me it was Wedged between two rather large boulders. This vehicle was about 50 feet off and 40 feet down suspended between two huge boulders on either side of the river. To top matters off, it was leaking fuel into Denver's water shed.
Our local firefighters are called in by the State Patrol. They take matters in hand to absorb some of the spilled fuel and oil... Denver Water Board is notified so they can make whatever preparations are necessary downstream to deal with any excess that makes it that far.
Well, after sizing the situation up, I have come to one conclusion. However we do this, it's obvious I am going to have to lift the vehicle straight up to dislodge it from the rocks. I decide to call in a second truck."Lil Rottie" is on her way and should be arriving anytime.
The plan is to stretch a wire rope from Lil Rottie to the base of a tree on the other side, creating a sort of clothesline. We will then attach a "floating" snatch block to the clothesline (5/8" wire rope) and run the rope from the Rocket through the block and down to the vehicle. Drawing the rope from Lil Rottie taught, then winching the vehicle straight up to clear the rocks. Once that is done, we can then pull on the snatch block with the Rocket, sliding it along the clothesline suspended until we are over solid ground. Once on solid ground, we can then continue pulling the truck back up and onto the roadway.
Well, that's my plan and I'm sticking with it! There is no access to either end or the other side of the vehicle. If this doesn't work, I'm calling in a helicopter!
Enjoy the pics!
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Click picture to enlarge
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