Hunting guide Travis Pineur (33), co-founder of Nomad Adventures, was killed on Feb. 24, 2019, near his home in southern Minnesota. Pineur’s pickup became stuck in a snowdrift when another motorist stopped to pull out Pineur’s vehicle with aid of a tow strap. However, as tension built on the strap, the hitch from the tow vehicle broke, causing a portion of the hitch to hurl through the air toward Pineur’s truck. The heavy metal broke through the windows of Pineur’s pickup camper and then the rear window of his truck, hitting him in the back of the head.

Tow Strap Safety Tips

To avoid a tragic accident such as this, always use a safety damper over a tow strap or winch cable. The damper acts like a parachute, greatly reducing the chance of harm to a vehicle or person if some component in the recovery system fails. You can purchase dampers designed specifically for this purpose (example: Warne Winch Cable Damper), but as you’ll see below, something as simple as ankle weights can work well, too.

Immediately below is a 40-second clip showing what can happen if a strap or cable snaps. The next two videos show you options for dampers, as well as advice on how much weight to load in dampers and where to place them on a tow strap for maximum safety.

Watch. Learn. Be safe.