Dangerous Recoveries – One of Our Specialties
As a company that specializes in heavy-duty towing and recovery, we’ve seen some incredible things. From overturned containers and big rigs to cranes almost falling off freeway overpasses, we’ve made it our business to not only respond to these calls but carry them out with the utmost care and safety. This is in no way a one-man job, we wouldn’t be able to complete these difficult jobs if it wasn’t for our robust fleet and amazing team of tow truck drivers. Here are some of our most dangerous recoveries to date and a little insight into how we were able to complete these jobs safely.
3 of the Most Dangerous Recoveries
One early morning a couple months ago, a truck jackknifed on the 710 North freeway entrance and almost went over the bridge. We brought Big Flipper, our 75-ton rotator, The Hulk, our 50-ton rotator and Unit 33, a 50-ton wrecker, to handle this call. We anchored to the rear of the trailer so that it stayed in place and we could work safely.
Anticipating we may need to take extra precaution, we secured the front of the trailer with a 5-foot spreader bar attached to Hulk’s main winch line. From there we were able to lift and swing the tractor and trailer over the k-rail and back onto the freeway. Big Flipper did the rest of the work, winching the tractor to straighten it out so we could tow it back to our base. It’s not every day you get called to the scene of a tractor-trailer dangling off a bridge, which is why it’s one of our most dangerous recoveries.
Tractor-Trailer Rollover With Limited Space
Sometimes, what may look like an “easy” recovery isn’t. A tractor-trailer rollover under a bridge might not seem like it would be a difficult job. But when a trailer is fully loaded and rolls over in a confined space like underneath a freeway overpass, it makes the job not only difficult, but dangerous.
We responded with The Hulk and Big Flipper in order to accomplish this recovery. Pulling the trailer front or back wasn’t an option so we had to complete this recovery in confined spaces. We used The Hulk and Big Flipper to upright the trailer in one shot. Don’t let looks deceive you. This was one of the most dangerous recoveries we’ve seen.
Unfortunately, we don’t have footage of this dangerous recovery but it was definitely one for the books. If you’re not familiar with the luxury car brand McLaren, this was a $250,000 car. The car went over the side of a backroad off a 300-foot mountainside. There were no access roads and a very steep incline. When asked how the situation was handled, our Manager, Josh Acosta who responded to the call said, “I used my youth and agility to savage my way down to the car.”
300 feet is a hefty distance. And it’s especially difficult to recover a vehicle with no access road and a bunch of brush on your way down the mountainside. We were able to recover the vehicle, but there wasn’t much left of it. Due to the sheer amount of athleticism it took to get to the vehicle, this is one of our most dangerous recoveries.
Call the Recovery Specialists in Los Angeles
There’s no recovery that’s too difficult for us. With one of the most robust fleets in Southern California, and a well-equipped team, we’re able to provide excellent service to those in need. We’ve been in the business of heavy-duty towing for 30 years and we are confident that we’ll be able to help you out of any jam you get yourself into on the road. Next time you’re in need, call Pepe’s Towing Service. We can handle it all.