Teenager hit on head by Tow Strap after 4WD got bogged near Sydney

Just a big reminder to take great care when trying to recover a bogged 4WD vehicle with a snatch strap. Here's what happened last night in Castlereagh near Sydney.

A teenager suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck on the head by a flying strap while his bogged Nissan four-wheel-drive was being towed in Sydney's west.
Police say the 17-year-old P-Plater was driving on a fire trail off Devlin Road in Castlereagh when the car became bogged down near a waterhole about 9.20pm on Sunday. Other drivers stopped and tried to pull the vehicle free, police said.
They attached a strap to the rear of the Nissan but, as another four-wheel-drive tried to tow it on to dry land, the strap connecting the vehicles broke.
The teenager is believed to have been sitting in the driver's seat of his vehicle when a piece of metal attached to the strap snapped back, smashed through the rear window and into the back of his head.
He suffered critical head injuries and was unconscious when police and paramedics arrived a short time later.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/flying-tow-strap-hits-teen-on-head-after-4wd-bogged-in-castlereagh-20150713-giaqlc.html#ixzz3fklQ5x7B

A few tips:

1. Don't rush, check your surroundings and ask bystanders to move
2. Only use rated shackles and recovery points
3. Never use tow balls as recovery point
4. Put at least a towel over rope or strap to dampen the effect when it rips apart
5. Be light on the accelerator and try to recover the other car with minimal engine effort