THE ULTIMATE PLAN B WHEN STUCK ON THE TRAILS
Networks of voluntary off-road recovery groups in Ontario are on the rise and will come to your rescue when all else fails.
in his 1984 novel, Normal Accidents,
Charles Parrow explains a theory that accidents rarely happen as simple, isolated events, but rather as multiple failures that interact with each other despite best efforts to avoid them. He may as well have been writing about the perils of off-roading. Just ask Billy Stephens when he recently posted on Ontario 4x4's Facebook page: Anybody up in Ardbeg that’s willing to give me a hand getting out? I broke the golden rule of ‘never wheel alone.’ Currently walking back to camp.”
From his initial Facebook post, Stephens’ plea for help was forwarded to a network of off-road recovery groups throughout Ontario that are active on social media. In a short while, a connection was made to Laura Galea, who was in the area and ultimately went to the Stephens’ location and pulled his rig to freedom with her invincible Jeep JKU,
Mooskimee. Having a fellow off-roader come to his aid was a double blessing. Not only did his responder arrive in a timely fashion, but she knew the trail and had the equipment and vehicle to do the job.
Specific 4x4 recovery assistance networks have sprung up fairly recently in Ontario with more groups expanding coverage as the offroad community embraces the benefits of knowledgeable volunteers helping to recover each other. One of the larger initial groups was established by Evan Taylor in December 2019. Based in Orillia just north of Toronto, Orillia Off-Road (ORR) Recovery currently has 10,799 members and even assisted sister associations to form under the OOR umbrella. Some of these include:
• Kawartha Lakes Off-Road Recovery
• Midland Off-Road Recovery
• Greater Sudbury Off-Road Recovery
• Timmins and Surrounding Area Off-Road Recovery
• Napanee Off-Road Recovery
• Chapleau Off-Road Recovery
• Temiskaming Shores Off-Road Recovery
• North Bay and Area Off-Road Recovery
• Ontario OffRoad Recovery
• ●519 Off-Road Recovery
The combined membership of all groups exceeds 21,000, which demonstrates the strength of the Ontario wheeling community. Plus, considering that the hundreds of
recoveries completed over the last several years had few, if any, safety or liability issues, it goes to show the collective knowledge and skills that volunteer rescuers can bring to the scene of a recovery attempt.
Off-roaders are a self-reliant bunch who take great pride in being prepared for all recovery situations. However, when extra assistance is needed, it may be difficult for commercial businesses to be prepared, equipped, and willing to venture into a remote area and undertake a recovery.
Most commercial recovery vehicles are two-wheel drive rigs that are cumbersome, heavy, and ill-equipped to handle the often demanding off-road conditions. Even if an appropriate vehicle is deployed, at least in Ontario, it still may be challenging for tow truck drivers to successfully recover an offroad vehicle.
Anyone who watches the popular YouTube Channel ‘Matt’s Off Road Recovery’ can appreciate that this line of work is not for the timid. Even an unmaintained municipal road in Ontario will deter most commercial tow trucks, particularly when roads are closed in the winter. Add the potential complications with insurance and it’s easy to understand why off-road enthusiasts need to find an alternate way to help each other.
Orillia Off-Road Recovery has done an excellent job creating an online presence for others to emulate in forming similar groups in the other regions. They describe their group as being “a group created by off-road enthusiasts as a place to post when you need help”.
The concept is that by using their Facebook page to access their membership, someone, hopefully, that is nearby will be able to step forward with assistance in a timely fashion. In all of the cases that I have followed since becoming a member, there’s lots of interest, and always willing volunteers. Orillia Off-Road Recovery states, “If you’re not willing to help other users, then please don’t use this page.”
The group does point out that they are not an emergency service, and do not guarantee recovery services since they are a community-based not-for-profit group. Volunteers are strictly forbidden to demand payment for recovery efforts, although donations can be optional if they are based on costs and paid forward in a way that will help someone else. Orillia Off-Road Recovery does have corporate sponsors and they do offer discounts for members. All of these details are provided on their Facebook home page, ‘Orillia Off-Road Recovery.’
They are also unique as they have a strict, no-breaking the law policy and OOR members will only assist if they have permission to enter the property if it is privately owned. Orillia Off-Road Recovery not only helps recover
off-road vehicles but hosts free guided ATV and 4x4 outings, community cleanup events and charity fundraisers. Another unique part of OOR is that some of their volunteers are trained rescue and recovery divers and have assisted with the recovery of items underwater.
Moderators of the Facebook page monitor activity, especially the guidelines that state ‘we will not allow posts that bash any person or group in our groups.’ Having a non-judgmental atmosphere is essential for users to comfortably post their predicaments for all the world to see without fear of ridicule. Everybody has been in the same situation so there is empathy and a genuine gung-ho desire to help. Let’s face it, nothing feels better than helping others less fortunate than yourself.
Orillia Off-Road Recovery has developed a successful model that is an excellent plan B when all else fails. And, the opportunity to help others has drawn the community even closer together as the shared experiences of rescuee and rescuer come into focus with the photos on the Facebook home page of each group. As groups grow and new groups are established in the future, it’s apparent that the map of such recovery assistance will fill in as the network expands even more - one rescue at a time.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ORILLIAOFFROADRECOVERY/