BajaNomad

Let's talk about a time(s) you've helped fellow Baja / Sea of Cortez traverlers out or even saved their lives?

JZ - 4-20-2023 at 08:51 PM

Circa 2007, was down in Sonora Mexico. It was blowing pretty good. Still my friend and I decided to take the boat out of the harbor to a near by bay. 4 to 6 foot wind waves with a short period. Pretty rough.

Got to the bay and we were anchored up, listening to tunes, drinking Pacifico's. The wind was probably 20-30 knots.

At one point, I said to my friend, "Did you hear that?" Turned the music down and we could definitely hear someone calling out for help. Turns out it was a guy who was on a diving excursion. The boat/group he was with was behind a big rock in the bay. He got himself around the front of it, directly into the wind.

The waves had him pinned against the jagged part of the rock. We backed the boat down and threw him a long rope. Pulled him on. He was bloodied from hitting the rocks. Took him back to his tour boat. They had no clue that he was missing or in danger.

Not sure we saved his life, but we made his life much better that day.

Location: 27°55'54.70"N 111° 3'36.67"W




[Edited on 4-21-2023 by JZ]

TMW - 4-21-2023 at 10:52 AM

Nothing as life saving as that but we did come upon a car on the dirt road between Trinidad and Hwy 1. It had a dead battery. I just cleaned the terminals and it started the car and they were off to visit family.

I've given gas to a number of people (Americans and Mexicans) over the years. I've towed a few cars and trucks as well.

JZ - 4-21-2023 at 11:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
Nothing as life saving as that but we did come upon a car on the dirt road between Trinidad and Hwy 1. It had a dead battery. I just cleaned the terminals and it started the car and they were off to visit family.

I've given gas to a number of people (Americans and Mexicans) over the years. I've towed a few cars and trucks as well.


One time we towed a mini van about 5-10 miles into Coco's. This was when it was still dirt. A family of about 5-6 people with the kids.

Love stopping and helping change a tire. Pulling out the floor jack from the truck makes things much easier.

David K - 4-21-2023 at 01:33 PM

Too many to name or remember, but the La Miseria episode with the couple, hungry and in need of heart meds, comes to mind. Then there was the 2wd camper truck, in the dark, trying to get to Shell Island, stuck about a mile from the highway.

PaulW - 4-21-2023 at 01:45 PM

We usually go on Wornout's weekly trips and I get to tow most of the time. There is an issue every time.
In the desert west of San Felipe I have lost count of how many towed home. Mostly typical buggies built with junk yard parts. Most of these were the typical VW powered sand rails with all kinds of defects that prevent motor operation, broken suspension, or transaxle parts. Flat tires are resolved with my plug kit without towing.

JZ - 4-21-2023 at 08:27 PM

Got the truck pretty stuck leaving San Franciquito one day heading to MX 1. Someone came by and yanked us out.




[Edited on 4-22-2023 by JZ]

geoffff - 4-21-2023 at 08:40 PM

Not really lifesaving, but it would have gotten expensive very soon...

I pulled this truck out of the lapping waves of the encroaching tide on one of those beaches at the very northern end of the peninsula north of La Paz.

4x4abc - 4-21-2023 at 10:44 PM

well...

Screen Shot 2023-04-21 at 10.41.37 PM copy.jpg - 149kB

watizname - 4-22-2023 at 06:30 AM

Not sure if this counts, but once back in the mid 90's we were going across to La Purisma/Scorpion Bay on the road at the end of Bahia Conception, and somewhere near the top we came upon a herd of goats. There was a huge mud hole and I guess they were getting some water, but a baby goat was stuck in the middle, and couldn't get out. My wife was beside herself with worry so we stopped and I got an old piece of clothesline out of the camper, and made a loop, tossed it, and just like Lash LaRoo, the goat was lassoed. Pulled him out and we went on our way after a celebratory shot of taquila. I think I saved his life.

David K - 4-22-2023 at 07:22 AM

Quote: Originally posted by watizname  
Not sure if this counts, but once back in the mid 90's we were going across to La Purisma/Scorpion Bay on the road at the end of Bahia Conception, and somewhere near the top we came upon a herd of goats. There was a huge mud hole and I guess they were getting some water, but a baby goat was stuck in the middle, and couldn't get out. My wife was beside herself with worry so we stopped and I got an old piece of clothesline out of the camper, and made a loop, tossed it, and just like Lash LaRoo, the goat was lassoed. Pulled him out and we went on our way after a celebratory shot of taquila. I think I saved his life.


Winner for best save story! Thank you.

I am still paying it forward

AKgringo - 4-22-2023 at 07:42 AM

In the mid 80s I broke down on the Richardson Highway, halfway between Fairbanks and Glenallen. While swatting mosquitos on the side of the road, I was able to determine that the fuel pump had failed.

A northbound traveler (with a load of fresh caught salmon) stopped to see if we needed help, then turned around and towed us 50 miles the opposite direction he was traveling to get us to a place that had a motel and auto repair!

He wouldn't even take any gas money for his trouble, he just said "Pay it forward", and I have done so many times, north and south of the border!

Mulege Canuck - 4-22-2023 at 09:11 AM

On the old gravel road past Cocos, a family had spun out on a steep section. The back tire had chewed down the grade so far that the vehicle was sitting on the frame. I jacked up the car., put blocking under it, filled in the hole, changed the tire and they were on their way.

The family had a son who now lived in Canada. They told me he named their daughter Maple. They tried to give me money but I did not take it.


The best rescue for me was past San Ignacio on the mud flats. Two brothers had got their van stuck pretty good. It was too risky for me to pull them out as it was too soft. I started rigging up my ancient come a long to the van and buried a Danforth anchor as a deadman. The brothers laughed and said it would never work. I pulled them out pretty quick.

JZ - 4-22-2023 at 10:59 AM

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff  
Not really lifesaving, but it would have gotten expensive very soon...

I pulled this truck out of the lapping waves of the encroaching tide on one of those beaches at the very northern end of the peninsula north of La Paz.



You saved them from a very bad day.

What type of rope are you using? I'm thinking about getting either a Yankum or Bubba kinetic rope. These seem to have the best ratings and test results.

JZ - 4-22-2023 at 11:04 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Mulege Canuck  


The best rescue for me was past San Ignacio on the mud flats. Two brothers had got their van stuck pretty good. It was too risky for me to pull them out as it was too soft. I started rigging up my ancient come a long to the van and buried a Danforth anchor as a deadman. The brothers laughed and said it would never work. I pulled them out pretty quick.


I have never heard of a Come Along. Looked it up on YT.

https://youtu.be/9G6JoenRBw0

David K - 4-22-2023 at 11:08 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Mulege Canuck  
On the old gravel road past Cocos, a family had spun out on a steep section. The back tire had chewed down the grade so far that the vehicle was sitting on the frame. I jacked up the car., put blocking under it, filled in the hole, changed the tire and they were on their way.

The family had a son who now lived in Canada. They told me he named their daughter Maple. They tried to give me money but I did not take it.


The best rescue for me was past San Ignacio on the mud flats. Two brothers had got their van stuck pretty good. It was too risky for me to pull them out as it was too soft. I started rigging up my ancient come a long to the van and buried a Danforth anchor as a deadman. The brothers laughed and said it would never work. I pulled them out pretty quick.


I learned an interesting thing while working on the Eliodoro Arce family tree, Arce = 🍁 Maple.

geoffff - 4-22-2023 at 06:05 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  

What type of rope are you using? I'm thinking about getting either a Yankum or Bubba kinetic rope. These seem to have the best ratings and test results.


I don't think I had a kinetic rope at the time. Just a series of tow straps. I even ended up needing to add a bit of momentum to get them unstuck -- which isn't a great idea with rigid tow straps. But nothing broke.

PaulW - 4-22-2023 at 06:36 PM

Neglected in buying one due to price.
I need to get a kinetic rope

AKgringo - 4-22-2023 at 07:08 PM

The guy that towed me 50 miles in Alaska used a mooring line from his boat. It was 25 or 30 feet long, about an inch in diameter with an eye at each end.

He told me to "Keep the line tight, and don't run over it". Easy enough to do, except it was 50 miles at 50 mph with no power assist for the steering or brakes!

surabi - 4-22-2023 at 10:52 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  


I learned an interesting thing while working on the Eliodoro Arce family tree, Arce = 🍁 Maple.


An "interesting thing"? Most people would call that learning Spanish.

baja-chris - 4-23-2023 at 05:20 PM

I've helped out folks with tire issues on the 3 sisters before it became a superhighway. In one case 3 gringo fishermen in a 3/4 ton pickup loaded to the gills with boat atop had bent one of the aluminum rims such that the air escaped. And the load was so heavy the jack would not lift the wheel to change it. I did the sledge hammer wheel straightening trick, aired them up with my CO2 bottle and wished them luck advising to stop at the first llantera to have that wheel swapped out with the spare. Another time at the summit of the 3 sisters a guy was changing a tire in an old POS front wheel drive car, a car that had no business on that road back then. Stopped to see if he needed help and he had it covered but got to talking and he said he was a DEA agent and they routinely would drive impounded cars back north and had been over this route many times. We joked that he must be catching the most unsuccessful narcos around based on the quality of the car he got. Anyway, we stuck around until he was mobile and waved goodbye.

KurtG - 4-24-2023 at 11:38 AM

About 25 years ago on the spur of the moment while driving north I decided to go through Calamague Canyon. I was driving my 86 Blazer S-10 4wd. There was a little water in the usual spots and I came upon two Mexican gentlemen in a 1950 or 51 Chevy pickup who were stuck. In trying to get unstuck they had ended up mired to the axle. I was able to get around them and hooked up a tow strap and was able to get them out in short order. Not a real difficult situation but with the lack of traffic through there it could have been bad for them.

The two were a guy about my age and his father. They were from Tecate but told me they had a gold mine in that area that they were working on.

We drove together up to the fish camp road where they went east and I went west to visit Coco.

David K - 4-24-2023 at 01:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  


I learned an interesting thing while working on the Eliodoro Arce family tree, Arce = 🍁 Maple.


An "interesting thing"? Most people would call that learning Spanish.

OK smarty, what does Villavicencio mean in English?

RnR - 4-24-2023 at 04:18 PM

Quite a few years ago we headed out of our town to a remote beach area about twenty-five miles away. About ten miles off of the main highway on the road to the beach, we came upon a broken-down pickup with two guys poking around under the hood. We stopped to offer assistance and they said, "Everything's okay. Somebody else will be along". We continued on down the road to the beach and spent the next three or four hours just poking around.

On our way back to the highway: the truck was still there, the two guys were now sitting on the ground trying to share a tiny speck of shade, and quite honestly, not looking very good. We gave them some water, a small snack, and hitched up the tow rope to pull them the ten miles out to the highway.

When we got to the highway I decided to just keep towing them to the town that they lived in. It was about eight miles in the opposite direction from which we were going but we didn't have anything else to do that day and it just wasn't a big deal.

When we got to their town we towed them right into a walled compound and got them unhitched. We spent the rest of the afternoon under their palapa drinking beer and eating food.

A few weeks later I was telling a close Mexican friend about the towing escapade. He smiled with a bit of surprise in his eyes and asked, "Which house?". Turns out that those two guys are members of the local cartel and the walled compound is a bit of an armed fortress.

I still occasionally run into one of the guys around the area. There is always a smile, and a wave, and a big "Hola amigo!"

[Edited on 4-24-2023 by RnR]

BajaBlanca - 4-25-2023 at 01:37 AM

RnR Now you have protection!

So many stories to tell but one that comes to mind was when my late sister drove my brother and mom down to our house in La Bocana. My brother is a surfer and mentioned that he would like to check out waves, so my sister left highway 1 somewhere and drove to the beach. she promptly got stuck in the sand.

A couple people come to help but they are drunk as skunks and eventually say they will come back the next day. So, my 80+ year old mom is looking at spending a night in the cold by the ocean...no extra water, no food and I have no clue any of this is going on.

Somehow they ended up at a fisherman's house. The woman of the house kicked one of her kids out of his bed for my Mom. She prepared dinner and breakfast the next day for all 3.

Forever grateful to that family!

BTW The guys did come back in the morning and got my sister's big pickup unstuck.

RnR - 4-25-2023 at 06:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  
RnR Now you have protection!


My thoughts exactly !!

Paco Facullo - 4-25-2023 at 09:27 AM

Way back in the early 80's, I was on a surfing trip at K38 (Taco surf)
while there , there was a few Mexican locals that were renting out horses. Well, one of the young Mexican men ended up getting bucked off a horse and was scraped up and bleeding a bit. I always carry medical supplies with me as I wanted to be a paramedic in previous years.
I cleaned his wounds and bandaged him up and thought nothing of it, happy to help.

A little while later, a big water track snows up that were the family of the horse renters. They invited me to the casa up on top of the hill on the other side of Hwy 1, so I joined them and off we go.

At the casa I met the whole Family, it was my first taste of real Mexican hospitality, the "Mi casa es su casa" was in full effect.
Luckily, there were some relatives down from the US that spoke English, as my Spanish at that time was muy malo,
The Patriarch of the family was an old Man that was still in great shape as I was told , he walked down and up that steep hill every day.
I was treated to Tequila, beers and fantastic food until i left.
What a great evening and experience that was, it sure showed me the true Mexican spirit of Family and hospitality.
The old Man told me to please return and that I was welcomed any time...

All this time, my buddies I was with were worried and wondering where the "F" I was ???
I returned and told them of the great evening I had.
Viva Mexico !!!

TMW - 4-25-2023 at 01:24 PM

I do remember a good life saving story, well maybe not life saving, but close enough. in the early 80s we would go diving at a place called Kennedy's camp. It was located across from La Jolla Camp over the mountain on the water. There were a couple of coves. Old man Kennedy was a Mexican lobster fisherman along with his sons he set traps for lobster. He kept his boats in one of the coves.

A couple of buddies and I went to Kennedy's to dive for fish. While there a small group of local college kids along with their teacher arrived to scuba dive and free dive. They had the gun type spear gun not the Hawaiian sling. One of the boys climbed out of the water onto a rock to adjust his wet suit. As he got back into the water he reached for his spear gun and as he pulled it to him it went off hitting him in the thigh. He screamed for help. The teacher came to us for help getting him back to our camp. We used one of Kennedy's boats to bring him from the rock to the shore. We carried him on a board I had up the hill to my truck where we put him in the back.

Off the teacher and I went to a hospital. The Dr told us that because of the barb on the spear he would have to cut open the thigh to remove it. With everything under control I returned to camp. There was very little blood loss and it hurt like heck. A couple of inches one way or another and the spear could have hit him in the chest. In some ways that was the kids lucky day.

soulpatch - 4-25-2023 at 08:27 PM

I've had the opportunity to save some immigrants that came out of Baja when I was a FF in East San Diego County more than a few times.

Sometimes starving and severely dehydrated, sometimes after being yard-saled after getting rammed by pursuit vehicles.
A lot were AFU and some we couldn't save.
Many were just scared when law enforcement became involved.

I did sew up a ocal guy's arm down in BoLA with some internal and external stitches once that was looking pretty rugged.
It took a lot of dissolving and regular suture thread!

Nothing really dramatic SOB, though.



SFandH - 4-26-2023 at 08:46 AM

Every winter I tow a few kayakers into shore on Bahia Concepcion. They learn about stiff offshore winds the hard way. It's easy to get out but getting in is a lot of work, too much for some.