A snatch recovery is sometimes the only way to free a vehicle as long as you know what you are doing and make absolutely sure your recovery points / chassis are up to it, but if you are not confident in yours/ recovered vehicles condition then quite rightly don't attempt it.
I personally always check the other vehicles recovery points before attempting any sort of recovery and also have a very substantial reinforced steel dog guard in the 90 to offer extra protection to the driver just in case. The number of times you see people carrying out recoverys of seriously stuck vehicles with kids in the back of the tow vehicle is frightening, it takes seconds to empty your passengers and move them to a safe distance.
Likewise I recently had to move a large crowd of onlookers well back from a stranded winch recovery, you know what its like a group all stood around the two rovers as one is winched out of a difficult mud hole on a 2 TONNE RATED SNATCH BLOCK !!!!!!!
Do people not think or realise the forces involved in recovery and what can happen to a winch cable when things 'let go'!!!!!
By far the worst I've personally witnessed though was nothing to do with off roaders, it was someone recovering a motor boat up a crowded beach with a 50 metre winch distance, the recovery point on the boat gave out and the SWR acted like a cheesewire on the owners mate who was 'supervising' the winch out stood half way along the SWR... there was very very little holding what remained of his lower leg onto his thigh and how more people were not injured is amazing.
The moral is , check your recovery points and kit regularly...that mud encrusted strop with the rusty shackles WILL give way when you are least expecting it!!!, use properly tested and rated recovery points fitted correctly with spreader plates, IMHO correctly rated JATE rings up front or a good winch bumper with built in recovery points and a NATO hitch (serviced and looked after!!!) should suffice and if you're not sure what you are doing then get some training or advice off someone who is experienced and safe. Of course all this is only my opinion after 25 years of Off road fun, feel free to ignore it all but remember you, your passenger or kids in the rear next time you are recovering may not get a second chance.
Cheers Steve
