With every turn a steep drop towards a rocky ravine, abandoning the Jeep was definitely the best and only option
The driver of a Jeep Wrangler had to abandon his SUV on the ridge trail outside Loma Linda in California after he found himself in a precarious situation. The decision to take that particular trail was a wrong idea. It was definitely not designed for a vehicle as massive as the Jeep Wrangler; but was instead for mountain bikers and hikers.
Abandon or Die
The driver of the Jeep Wrangler found himself in such a position that it was better to abandon the vehicle and walk down to safety. Stuck up there on the California cliff atop a narrow West Ridge trail near the town of Loma Linda and overlooking the San Bernardino Valley, the driver could not find a safe turn.
It was a sheer drop into a rocky ravine with every turn. Instead of asking for trouble, the Jeep driver decided that the best option was the abandon the vehicle.
Images of the Jeep Wrangler on top of the ridgeline with steep drops on either sides show that even another 4×4 and a winch would find it extremely difficult to get the Wrangler down to solid ground. The only way out with be for a brave driver to reverse the vehicle out but that would also take someone who would be willing to put life and limb to the test.
Jeep Wrangler saved
However, the said Jeep Wrangler has been saved by Jeep fans. It was sitting in that position for 36 hours before it was rescued. A police helicopter surveying the area and officers were in contact with the Jeep owner. A team of four wheelers from the SoCal Jeep Club arrived on site with shackles, straps and winches.
This fleet is said to have driven from the Reche Canyon side to approach the abandoned Jeep. They hooked up a series of straps on to the Jeep’s front bumper while a large crowd of people outside of their vehicles held on to the straps.
Instructions flowed on from the bunch of people watching as the accompanying vehicle managed to level the Jeep Wrangler onto even ground and then slowly reversing it to safety. Below is the video showing how the team’s monumental effort saved the Wrangler from getting a permanent address.
Jeep Wrangler previously abandoned
This is not the first time that someone has abandoned a Jeep Wrangler. Sometime last year, a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited was found lying neglected in a protected creek bed which is a part of an environmental restoration area in El Dorado County in Northern California.
Trout Creek, were the Wrangler was found, is a part of a federally funded, restoration project to clean up roads, logging and man-made structures in the region. The area is often used by students from the Lake Tahoe Community College as a research and study area, and hence driving in the creek is prohibited.
