| London's Run, January 30, 2010 |
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| DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME: WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE WORKING A PUBLIC SERVICE EVENT. |
On January 30, 2010, about a dozen or so Hams converged on
Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona to provide communications
support for the annual London's Run. The course includes a
half-marathon, 10k run and a 2-mile fun-run. I was stationed at Water
Stop 2, which was just short of the 7-mile marker, and provided
support for both the half-marathon and the 10k runs..It was a beautiful
day for a run, although it had rained heavily a week prior.
Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona to provide communications
support for the annual London's Run. The course includes a
half-marathon, 10k run and a 2-mile fun-run. I was stationed at Water
Stop 2, which was just short of the 7-mile marker, and provided
support for both the half-marathon and the 10k runs..It was a beautiful
day for a run, although it had rained heavily a week prior.
As it turned out, the last three runners on the half-marathon were quite a distance behind the next runners, and moving very slow and stopping frequently. I
dropped in behind the drag vehicle, prepared to provide transportation should any of the final three care to take a ride to the finish line. Fortunately, or
unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the last runners opted to take a short-cut and headed for the finish line. I chose to continue around the course
to get in behind the new last runners.
dropped in behind the drag vehicle, prepared to provide transportation should any of the final three care to take a ride to the finish line. Fortunately, or
unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the last runners opted to take a short-cut and headed for the finish line. I chose to continue around the course
to get in behind the new last runners.
At one point, the dirt road narrows quite a bit and has an irrigation ditch on
one side, and a muddy cotton field on the other. Needless to say, the road,
at one point, became narrower than my truck and I slid off the road into the
muck. I was able to free myself and gain some ground, only to sink in again
on the opposite side of the road, from which there was no chance of
self-recovery. To make a long story short, it took about a half-dozen of us,
including two Jeeps with winches and two 4X4 pick-up trucks to get me out,
but only after about 3-1/2 to 4 hours of tromping around in the mud. All in all,
I was stuck four different times. I was able to get out of the first one on my
own. After being pulled backwards by the first Jeep I thought I was free, only
to end up getting stuck in two other places, each one worse than the
previous one. It wasn't until the second Jeep arrived that we were able to
free my vehicle and I was then able to drive the remainder of the road to
safety.
Fortunately, there appears to be no damage to my vehicle other than a few
scratches on the paint from the cables used to pull me to freedom. It was
certainly something new for me, and I learned my lesson VERY WELL.
Many thanks to those who stuck with me and helped me get free.
At one point one of the guys from Schnepf Farms was under the front of my
truck attempting to attach the winch cable when a woman driving by on
Ellsworth Road stopped because she thought he was trapped under the
truck. She stopped other motorists to help before we could relay to her that
the truck was stuck, not the person.
As time progressed, several other folks stop that were passing by on
Ellsworth Road. One was a 4X4 tow truck. He stopped relatively early in the
process and I declined his help. He said he would stop again on his way
back home, but I never saw him again.
The intersection south of where we were was Pecos Road and it has a
traffic light, which means traffic would frequently stop and back up past our
location. At one point, a car didn't stop when traffic in front of them did, and
they hit the car in front. At least one person was injured and that got the
response of several Maricopa County Sheriff's officers as well as the Queen
Creek Fire Department and an ambulance. I only saw one person being
taken away, but everyone was still at the accident when we finally got my
truck out of the mud and onto solid ground.
This was not a pleasant experience, but it was bearable because of the
people who helped and stayed with me throughout the entire ordeal.
I missed dinner with a co-worker and a hockey game because of this. It
could have been a lot worse. I could have had to pay big bucks for a tow
truck, but, because of the dedicated folks who stuck with me, I didn't need
to call for a tow truck.
Thank you.
Ed
Click here to download the PowerPoint presentation.
one side, and a muddy cotton field on the other. Needless to say, the road,
at one point, became narrower than my truck and I slid off the road into the
muck. I was able to free myself and gain some ground, only to sink in again
on the opposite side of the road, from which there was no chance of
self-recovery. To make a long story short, it took about a half-dozen of us,
including two Jeeps with winches and two 4X4 pick-up trucks to get me out,
but only after about 3-1/2 to 4 hours of tromping around in the mud. All in all,
I was stuck four different times. I was able to get out of the first one on my
own. After being pulled backwards by the first Jeep I thought I was free, only
to end up getting stuck in two other places, each one worse than the
previous one. It wasn't until the second Jeep arrived that we were able to
free my vehicle and I was then able to drive the remainder of the road to
safety.
Fortunately, there appears to be no damage to my vehicle other than a few
scratches on the paint from the cables used to pull me to freedom. It was
certainly something new for me, and I learned my lesson VERY WELL.
Many thanks to those who stuck with me and helped me get free.
At one point one of the guys from Schnepf Farms was under the front of my
truck attempting to attach the winch cable when a woman driving by on
Ellsworth Road stopped because she thought he was trapped under the
truck. She stopped other motorists to help before we could relay to her that
the truck was stuck, not the person.
As time progressed, several other folks stop that were passing by on
Ellsworth Road. One was a 4X4 tow truck. He stopped relatively early in the
process and I declined his help. He said he would stop again on his way
back home, but I never saw him again.
The intersection south of where we were was Pecos Road and it has a
traffic light, which means traffic would frequently stop and back up past our
location. At one point, a car didn't stop when traffic in front of them did, and
they hit the car in front. At least one person was injured and that got the
response of several Maricopa County Sheriff's officers as well as the Queen
Creek Fire Department and an ambulance. I only saw one person being
taken away, but everyone was still at the accident when we finally got my
truck out of the mud and onto solid ground.
This was not a pleasant experience, but it was bearable because of the
people who helped and stayed with me throughout the entire ordeal.
I missed dinner with a co-worker and a hockey game because of this. It
could have been a lot worse. I could have had to pay big bucks for a tow
truck, but, because of the dedicated folks who stuck with me, I didn't need
to call for a tow truck.
Thank you.
Ed
Click here to download the PowerPoint presentation.
