A sad story

hank857 · 04-18-2022, 08:47 PM

Folks I found this when looking at the you tube site for the main guy who is a interesting type. Anyhow this is just to remind folks that you need to be constantly aware of where you are and not rely on a navigator. I have read about folks driving into lakes and almost off the side of a mountain trail. You need to know where you are going and make decisions based on some sense. You cannot encounter bad areas and expect the best.

I followed a sign that said there was a KOA on a side road. Took it and it was by a lake and as the road deteriorated and got narrow we knew something was wrong. Decided to turn around at 1st area we could and it was on a curve with a almost decent shoulder. Snow markers were in the way so had to also navigate around them. It was tight but we made it without having to disconnect the car. So please be aware and have an idea of where you are at and plan on going. BTW we were in a 28ft Aspect MH, a TT or 5th wheel would have been in great trouble if in the same situation IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Svu...l=HeavyDSparks

wyocamper · 04-18-2022, 09:34 PM

I read this a week or so ago on washingtonpost.com: https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...rv-found-dead/

Really sad story, just no idea why their GPS would have taken them up that road, or why they trusted it as far as they did.

lenore · 04-19-2022, 07:46 AM

Oh my, that could be any of us. Never thought of putting survival gear in the tow vehicle.
RIP sir, and thank you for your service.

Mtn Charlie · 04-19-2022, 06:17 PM

I had an incident in the late '70s in my 26' MiniWinnie. We were in the Lake Tahoe/Reno area and took a paved side road. As we progressed up the mountain, the road went to a single lane and then became just packed snow. There was no place to turn around, so I started backing down the hill. With the front end pointed up hill, there was reduced weight on the front wheels. It became difficult to steer, so I put my tire chains on the front wheels. I still couldn't keep the Minnie on the packed snow. We sat there for about an hour, when a jeep club that had gone up the hill earlier came across us on their way down. The couldn't get past the Winnie. They attached a tow strap and got us back on the packed snow. Then 10 strong young men got 5 to a side at the back of the RV and physically muscled the back wheels side to side as I kept the front wheels straight and just used the chained wheels to slow the decent. They acted like they were having a party and refused any payment for their assistance. LESSON LEARNED !!!

71_340 · 04-24-2022, 05:55 PM

Sad story.

The saddest part is the video and posting it on YouTube, entertainment based on the misfortune of an older couple. There is no good reason for making and posting the video. I did not watch the whole video because I found it tasteless and insensitive, so maybe I missed the "moral to the story" at the end if there was one.

Mtn Charlie · 04-24-2022, 06:03 PM

If nobody tells the story, nobody learns anything from their tragedy. If their story isn't told, nobody learns from their loss.

lenore · 04-24-2022, 06:18 PM

Totally agree quit trying to erase something that will make people think and hopefully not repeat. It sure gave some great tips like even having emergency items in your toad. Quite frankly i did not think of that. It could save your life.

**creativepart** · 04-24-2022, 06:49 PM

My thinking, and I really hope I don't rattle any cages, was how unique those circumstances were with those two individuals that led to that tragic outcome.

It may be naive, but I don't think any of us with one lung, and a wife that needed a walker would take any route that would put any of us in that kind of peril.

To me, if there is any lesson to be learned from this... it's to know and obey your own limits.

delhawk · 04-24-2022, 07:53 PM

The whole story doesn't make any sense. Why would you not have water and food in an RV? I've followed GPS directions that would have gotten me in trouble had I continued to follow the route suggested by the GPS. Common sense told me to turn around before I got in trouble. I remember a time when we drove to the Racetrack in a Jeep. On the way back we met 4 people in a subcompact on the dirt track looking for a gas station. Yjeir GPS told them that if they kept going there was a gas station on the road. My advice to them was to turn around and go back toward Scotty's Castle and take the road to the service area in the center of the park. They kept pushing on and I hope God helped them find that gas station.

hank857 · 04-25-2022, 10:49 AM

They did not think from what I heard that they would be gone long. Also the rv was at least 1/2 mile away as the crow flies and in a article I read it said 2 miles. Anyhow the couple was NOT able to walk any distance it seems as the lady had issues with just trying to get to snow piles for water.

Yes this is a terrible thing to have happened. I posted it not for 'entertainment value' but as means to provoke thought in people. The news has posted pictures/articles about how folks end up in lakes or lost but really never the why's other than it was a bad gps. The devices need to be updated regularly, garmin recommend semi annually, I dont know about magellan and others. I flew test flights in the army when they were testing the use of gps and in about 99% of the time the things stayed accurate. The other 1% was because the system was under development and had some glitches built in or something.

People need to be aware of what is going on around them and they also need to understand the devices they may be using and think about what they are actually seeing. BTW the guy that has the site is known for helping recover stuff all over the state of utah. I watch his channel as it is entertaining and most times it does have a story to tell.

Noah4448 · 05-29-2022, 12:10 PM

A Garmen InReach is what we carry for criminal, vehicle, and medical emergencies. Works anywhere in the world by satellite. You can turn on the tracking signal and it will keep your kids or others aware of your general location. The device works by GPS and texting by itself or with your phone.

Piece of mind is worth the initial and $40/month cost. Note you can turn the monthly cost on and off.

Note I checked with Garmin and the 24-hour 365 days/year service is happy to help even with just calling a tow truck when you have a flat in the middle of the Yukon.