Amazon rescuers find ravine crash couple in MB Unimog

[Christian P.]

Did they remove the truck? Did they have a crane or something? or is it still there?

[haven]

The link to the photo album is
http://web.me.com/bodoscott/Tread_th...on_Rescue.html

Here's a sample



It appears that the bridge broke while the vehicle was still over the bank of the river. So the truck toppled over into the vegetation, and slid downhill. That's much better than falling down 10 feet.

The extraction of the vehicle was accomplished by a ferry operator who was identified by the local authorities. The vehicle was successfully extracted, and transported to Manaus, a distance of about 300 kms (185 miles). It's at the Mercedes Benz workshop in Manaus. Details here
http://web.me.com/bodoscott/Tread_th...1/10/6_NEW.htm

Let's hope that it will be possible to make repairs without shipping back to Europe.

[haven]

http://web.me.com/bodoscott/Tread_th...1/10/6_NEW.htm

This blog entry by Lesley Norris contains the news that the crashed truck was broken into and stripped of everything of value as it lay in the riverbed. The local people look on an accident like this in the same way seaside villages used to view a shipwreck -- an unexpected bounty that must be harvested.

When the accident occurred, Norris and Bruce Scott were driving the 760 kms from Porto Velho to Manaus on BR-319, the notorious rainforest road in Rondonia. The blog report indicates that the couple traveled the first half of the road (300 km) on the first day, and they hoped to cover the second half on the day of the accident.

[Iain_U1250]

My wife and I looked at the photos last night - I said that at first glance looking at the photos of the bridge I would have driven across it - she said she would not have. I wonder what discussions the two of them had prior to driving over the bridge.

[haven]

The blog post referenced above indicates that the bridge appeared to be in good repair, no planks missing or out of place. So the couple drove onto the bridge without a walking inspection first.

It's possible that a closer inspection would have raised an alarm. I think the problem was below the bridge surface and invisible. I've seen several bridges in the Pantanal wetlands of Brasil that looked like they were about to collapse, yet American-style dump trucks loaded with rocks drove over them every day.

I'm wondering about insurance coverage for this accident. Should they sue the Brazilian highway authority? The accident happened on a major road.

[grizzlyj]

Hi

Having read the last few posts I thought they had just driven off the edge rather than the bridge collapsing and I'd remembered incorrectly.

Driving 300km per day on perhaps not too smooth roads in a slow truck, when maybe theres a bridge like this every few km, you've driven over hundreds of them in the last few weeks, would you really check each one?!

Is that a hydraulic winch too? Seems theres maybe two pipes coming from the lhs bumpertop where Mog take offs are often sited? Could they have got themselves out with an electric winch once they'd calmed down and had a cup of tea?

Not the ideal ending to their trip. Will they continue?

[Iain_U1250]

I know that if my wife and I were OK physically, I would certainly have started a recovery attempt the next day. I would definitely been a scary thing. I wonder what broke the windscreen - looks like it was something from the inside hitting the screen

They said when the got it back it has steering problems and needed some welding to get it drivable again. I suspect the steering rod or drag link would be bent, and not sure what would require welding.

Since the camper has been ransacked, replacing the gear inside will probably take a fair bit of time. I hope the continue on their trip - judging by the blog I think they are planning on it.

[biggoolies]

What would be the weight of a vehicle like this? I would like to compare it to my Fuso to see if I will crash through these bridges also.

[biggoolies]

Oh I read in her blog. 8 tons.

[Ford Prefect]

Wow, the photo of the truck in the ravine! Wow that is amazing, and they sound like they expect to be on the road again soon. Pretty cool really, when all things are considered. Also lucky they did not have more of the truck vandalized.