# A possible scenario (in my case)



## sinbad (Oct 27, 2009)

I thought of putting this in my older thread about multi gear holers but then though to make it separate. 

Here is the scenario : 

It is raining like there is no tomorrow. 
You are at home and you decide to stay put ! However, you receive a call from your dad / sister / daughter that their car is stuck in some flooded area or mud hole with your elderly mom or newborn baby .. etc 

You have a decent 4x4 which can move in , say , two feet of rainwater. 
Roads are bad and conditions are varaible from street to street. 
Abandoning your car may not be likely, but possible. 

Question is : 
What kind of stuff do you throw in the truck ?? and 
What kind of gear do you strap ON YOUR PERSON. 

I was thinking if I was going, the wife and me will fill the truck with life sustaining boxes of hot drinks , hand warmers and blankets for the rescued. Several tarps too for possible shelter buiilding. I would put my BOB near me in the passenger seat for quick (grab and go) if need be, AND have a survival vest on me at all times. 

I would not role out reaching there and having to establish some shelter until conditions became better. So the supplies have to be for 72 hours or more. 

Your thoughts, please ??


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

Maybe a rubber raft and life jackets.


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## ajsmith (Feb 1, 2010)

How 'bout a tow strap and lots of rope. The tow strap in case you can pull there rig out to safety and the rope for in case you have to wade out to retrieve them in swift running water you can anchor your self to your truck:dunno:


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

Don't know what temperature this scenario is in, but I would recomend wearing a full neoprene dive skin, booties and maybe gloves. This outfit would make you boyant if you were swept away, keep you warm and also is comfortable to work in. Most topics like this do say not to drive on flooded streets due to not knowing how deep the water is or how fast it is moving.


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## sinbad (Oct 27, 2009)

Something like this :


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## SaskDame (Aug 27, 2010)

backlash said:


> Maybe a rubber raft and life jackets.


And paddles and an air tank. And maybe some brandy unless it is really warm.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I would also add a safety line attached to myself and wear a neoprene hood. Possibly a good dive knife combo, knife, prybar and hammer head. I wouldn't want to become to bogged down with equiptment though.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

One of my Jeeps is always ready for extreme mud / water / snow / dirt / rocks / etc. I can drive through water 48" deep (122cm) without any problems, I have been upto 60" (152cm) in water and just needed to make sure that the moisture wasn't being kicked up into my air-intake.

What I always carry is tow-straps, tug-straps (two different types of straps), 9,500lb rated winch (with controller), screw-shackles, snatch-blocks, 3/8" grade 70 chain (breaking strength of 26,400 lbs) with several different kinds of hooks on it (slipper, frame-grabber, link-grabber) so that I can either extend my winch's capability or make better connections to the vehicle / object that I need to connect to.

I practice winching / recovery techniques as shown in this video:


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## sinbad (Oct 27, 2009)

So, it looks like a gooad idea to be wearing this vest :

Bush Pilot Survival Vest by World Prep

Anything specific to include in the BOB of the rescuer just in case he jumps ship ..er... truck ... and becomes a rescuee ???

Floods have dragged some people who later landed safely somewhere with nothing but (some of ) their clothes..


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## Davo45 (Apr 29, 2011)

I understand that yours is a hypothetical question, but let me play the Devil's advocate here: 

First, I'm going to make the assumption that there are no rescue squads available in the area? Having been in a volunteer member of a waterborne search and rescue unit in the past I've taken part in rescuing more than a few motorist from rain swollen creeks, canals, etc. after their vehicles had been washed off the roadway. In all of those cases, a tow truck couldn't even respond to the scene, and even if they could, the driver wouldn't have tried to get the vehicle out in the rushing waters. To make the attempt would have been futile at best, and suicidal at worst.

Second, why would they be driving on flooded roadways for in the first place, or want me to? If you cannot see the roadway because it's covered with water DON'T ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ON IT! 

I'm aware that things happen suddenly and without warning that can cause something like this to happen. It's sad and tragic when it does and lives are lost, but you'd be doing them no good if you went off to "rescue" them and needed to be rescued yourself because the same thing happened to you while you were trying to get to them, or worse were drowned. 

Even in rural areas of Alabama there are rescue squads (or members of the local sheriff's reserve) with motorized boats (and trailers to get them to the scene if part of the area was unaffected) who are far better equipped and trained to perform this sort of rescue operation than anyone without such training and equipment are. Tell your family member to call 9-1-1 and let the professionals do their job. 

In closing, if the situation were such that emergency services were non existent, no longer in service or otherwise unable to respond then by all means you'd do whatever you possibly could to rescue your family members. 
To do any less would be unthinkable. Having said that, I'd say you've been given a good list of items.


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## headhunter (Nov 21, 2008)

i agree the best plan is to stay home.
Some things already listed seem to be on track, the sil was called up National Guard for flooding of the Red River and wore a PFD driving a humvee for a week. Last fall we got hit, The road to the East was underwater, as was the road to the south and the north, the road to the west had been under water. In one place it had a road closed sign and in a second place it had a road under water sign. A call to the "head start" confirmed they were having school so of we went. The grand daughter was delivered to her bus pick up point When the grand daughter's bus arrived at school they canceled so grandpa was on the road again. Twenty miles to get her and twenty miles back home. On the main highway water was over one lane on the way there and on the way back it was about 9-12" inches flowing quite rapidly in the same spot.
Four wheel drive is good, as well as an extra drive axle most of them have a higher ground clearance. Common sense is a must have. If you can't see the bottom, please think a second time. Snatch straps and hi-lift jacks and shovels are nice things to have as is a set of tire chains. That morning I was wishing I had time to throw the 4-wheeler in the back of the truck to increase ithe trucks inertia and perhsps lessen the chance of hydroplaning..


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## GatorDude (Apr 23, 2009)

Fully charged cell phone and a GPS. Then you could find them and call professional rescuers. That being said - life jackets, line, pulleys, a winch or come along would be a good idea. Maybe a ladder?


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