I had just sat down with the wife and kids for dinner. When the phone rang, I wasn't expecting what I heard...
My best friend's wife was calling to get directions to a trailhead that we regularly 4wheel. I gave her the directions and asked what was up. She told me that Pat had rolled the Jeep, but everything was OK. He had been out on a simple trail with his boys (aged 2 and 4) and had a problem while helping recover another vehicle that had a problem.
As soon as I got off the phone with her, I started calling around to find out more. Cell coverage in the area is pretty spotty, so I wasn't shocked that I got a lot of voice mails. Then my phone started ringing back as the people I had left messages with started calling back. Nobody knew what was going on, but everyone wanted to be in the loop. If I needed help or he needed help, they wanted to lend a hand.
Pat called me a few minutes later and let me know part of what happened. He was on a borrowed phone. After hearing the real story, I was on my way out of the door to drive up to the trail (about 2 hours away) with his wife. We would be driving separately, but I could lead her up. The plan was for her to pick up the boys and head back and for me to stay with him until we got things squared away with the Jeep.
At this point, the Jeep was laying upside-down on the trail. He had walked out to a campsite with the boys. There were some other folks in the area, largely made up of firefighters and police officers camping and 4wheeling for the weekend. The wives and girlfriends of the campers swung into action feeding and making sure the kids were OK while Pat tried to find a way to get the Jeep off the trail so that it could be recovered...
I still didn't really know what happened... but I had 5 trail rigs and a trailer on their way to help if needed. All of this 1 1/2 to 2 hours from where we all live... At 8:00pm on a Saturday. Personal lives interrupted. Plans changed.
After an eternity, I arrived, with Helen right behind, at the campsite. The boys ran up to me looking for Mommy (our vans look pretty similar... I wasn't in my truck or Jeep). They were fine. Pat's knee was pretty torn up, but he was mobile and trying to get everything ready to tow it back to town. Pat's Jeep was hurt...
One of the first things we recommend is to upgrade the rollcage. In the case of a Jeep CJ, the factory cage doesn't protect rear seat occupants... Pat had built and rebuilt his cage to protect the rear seat passengers. The boys both were sitting in the rear seats with full harnesses. They were unhurt, despite the wild ride they took...
Pat had gotten out of the Jeep to make sure the winch cable didn't have any binds. The Jeep he was helping to move suddenly lurched while it was being re-rigged and he had to dive out of the way... getting run over by it in the process... only to see his Jeep launch down the hill with his two young boys along for the ride. It ended up sitting upside-down on the cage after hitting a tree hard enough to break off the top of it and flipping off of it back into the trail. 
The boys were pulled from the vehicle within moments by the guys that were helping with the recovery. They were understandably upset and scared, but unhurt... Thankfully.
What began as a quick, easy trail ride turned into a a recovery. The recovery turned into the worst nightmare for a parent, watching helplessly as your kids are in danger. Fortunately, that gave way to the thankfulness that they were unhurt.
Six hours after the call went out, the kids are in bed, the Jeep is in Pat's garage, and all of the participants are at home... keep in mind that it was more than two hours before the first of us could arrive on the scene to begin bringing everyone and everything back home... And the trip back required two hours as well.
But the most important thing to me is that our friends were eager to help in any way they could. In the allotted time we could have had enough volunteers to carry the Jeep off the trail by hand. All asked the same questions... Were the boys in the Jeep? Are they OK? Is Pat OK? What happened to the Jeep? How can I help? What do you need?
My simple plan of enjoying dinner with the family, and then going to Bruster's with the neighbors to talk about how much fun our kids had at hockey camp... then spending a little time blogging and an early night was gone. And I am SO thankful that the only real damage was to the Jeep... It can be rebuilt, and it will be...
There is a social networking lesson here... but that is for another time...
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I'd love to hear from you...
And people wonder why insurance costs are so high....
Lane,
Glad to hear everyone came out ok - the jeep can be fixed.
My heart dropped when reading about the jeep rolling away from Pat with his kids onboard...what a helpless feeling that had to be!
Good example about counting your blessings....EVERYDAY, eh?
Glad to hear all of the humans are ok -- and will mend -- the jeep it can be fixed or tossed away -- material things do not matter people do -- all the best.
Material things can be replaced and just thank god that all was safe. Trail riding is a fun thing to do but It can get dangerous in a second.
Lane...definition of "true friend" must have YOUR picture next to it!
Remember my post about "Do You Jump?" Well you certainly answered that question!
Friends like you are a rare find and I'm sure Pat, his wife and kids are thankful they know you!
Now, promise your wife you will make it up to her! Altho, knowing you, she probably was pushing you out the door to help!
Thanks for sharing. Shows how a family activity can be very dangerous.
Team work can accomplish any kind of miracle you need...glad that no one was hurt....trail riding is not without caution...protection....thank you for sharing.
Wow, life happens.
So scary for everyone. Glad the husband and boys are OK.
Great networking by all.
John - There won't be any insurance claim on this accident. I don't know what I wrote that led you to believe there would be...
Eric - I think that is the worst part for Pat. I hate to even think about that.
B & C - The Jeep will be fixed. The boys are already talking about fixing it.
Laura - It could have just as easily been an accident on the road... Everything we do has an element of danger. I'm just glad he was prepared and that the damage is to stuff...
Thom - Gail was ready to go ride with Helen. They are our friends and there wasn't a question of "if" we would help.
Roy - The last time a call went out like this it was during an ice strom. One of the guys rolled on the highway at 60mph. His Jeep was totalled and he walked away. We had a couple of people on the scene before the tow truck left to make sure he got home and that his Jeep was taken care of... Everything is dangerous.
S & D - It is a dangerous activity, and we recognize that. Roll cages, securing loose items in the vehicle, occupant harnesses... all of those things help.
Missy - As soon as we activated everyone, the calls were answered and the work was done. I still can't help but think of what had to be going through Pat's mind as he saw his Jeep rolling with the kids in it.
Lane, I know you slept well after you got home. Thank God everyone was ok, and that you were there to help.
As a quick update, I talked the Helen this morning and the boys aren't even sore and are running around like nothing happened. Pat's knee is pretty rough, but he is otherwise ok.
WOW, I haven't been keeping up as well as I should...all I can say...you are a hero! :) Its good to know just how good you are but then again...I already knew that. Glad to hear everything is ok and all it takes sometimes is one simple phone that can change your evening...or your life! Dang..so many life lessons..but I pay attention..and hope and pray they don't repeat themselves! I'll have to give you a buzz soon.
Hi, I'm Pat and that's my now fairly trashed Jeep. Had to post up here and say Thank You so much to my best friend Lane. After my Wife, Lane is the first person I thought to call because I knew he'd be right there to help me and my family. He's always been there when I need help and I'll be there for him some day.
Thankfully, everyone has turned out great, although my knee is hamburger and may need some attention from a doctor. The Jeep is likely fixable, but that really doesn't matter. I'm amazed that the boys don't have as much as a scratch or bruise to show for their horrible ride. The cage is this vehicle was designed by me to withstand a highway rollover at speed, or a trail accident. It's a 6 point cage tied into the frame for maximum protection, and the boys are tied to it with a 6 point harness and high back seat. The thousand or so dollars spent to build the cage saved two absolutely priceless lives yesterday.
Thanks Lane, I owe you buddy. Bruster's at the very, very least.
Midori - Not a hero, just a friend.
Pat - I'll be right there... Anything for Bruster's. Besides, I know that you would do the same for me without a single hesitation.