Ocean City Maryland beach hummer accident

[Hummoron]

Someone stuck in the sand vs. someone screaming in the background after a distress button was pushed should have provoked a different response.

I didn't read where the 911 operator passed that information (someone screaming) along.

While Adam and Jenn were not, a lot of drinking, hollering, and junior behavior goes on at the beach.

“We didn’t receive a discernable response,” said Terry Sullivan, vice president of communication for OnStar. “The advisor indicated that he thought he heard a woman’s voice, but the sounds are unclear.”

Could have been a lot of things. We know different, now.

[h2co-pilot]

Originally posted by H2 Rocks:
If you'd like to tell us your hatred of big SUV's, save it for another post.

Yeah Humm-yourown, post your gripes on this thread..

http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/t...1/m/7711075411

[Marcmedic]

And when the search in the logical places didn't turn anything up another call should have been placed to OnStar to check the status of the vehicle and the search should have been expanded.

[Marcmedic]

I give up, I'm going to bed. BTW, all the guys here at the staion wish there were more people out there like you who wouldn't hold us accountable so we could get more sleep at work.

[KenP]

Who are you and why are you here?

[KenP]

I don't see where anyone is blaming anyone else for this tragedy. What I do see are many owners wondering what mistakes were made and by whom. Specifically AFTER the accident. No one here is calling for offroading in nature preserves. Read about Tread Lightly and all the participant manufacturers and owners.

There are millions of GM built vehicles on the road with OnStar. Those customers pay for it and expect a certain level of service that can be called into question with this accident. That is what has been discussed here.

Now, until you come up with something better just carry your sorry ass back to your ****-hole Rt 13 roadside farm market and hawk some collards. Oh, don't forget to check for crabs. No, not the Blue, the one's your sister gave you. What a tool.

[Marcmedic]

Read the first post. They cancelled another agency that was responding, and they didn't start a full blown search and resce operation until AFTER they found the first body over 12 hours after the intial call.

[Marcmedic]

Don't ever rely on rescue services to save you!

I guess you must love paying taxes to support a service that you don't count on to do their jobs.

[H2Finally]

ELOQUENTLY PUT! Roxs!

[Hummoron]

WHat you probably don't see is that they sent several trucks which were cancelled by the first arriving unit when they arrived on scene with no smoke showing. Sometimes the alarms gets reset before the engine arrives. The engine should continue to check while the rest of the incoming units get cancelled.

No, I can assue that no other trucks were sent. They might be in the station ready to go, but they don't leave.

[PARAGON]

Originally posted by Salt Lake City HUMMER:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by VTSTOMPER:
Can we all just agree that is was a tragic event and hope that nothing like this ever happens to anyone ever again?

Amen </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Guys, what fairytale land are you from. "Let's just HOPE that nothing like this ever happens again" ? To several adults here, this is not some idea you can just keep at arm's length. Please do us all a favor and read all of the posts here before you post your opinion about the subject. To just write off the whole thing and forget about it, you would have to ignore the facts and basically not give a damn as to whether or not something could have been done different. You see, this isn't about one person making a mistake. It is about a standard operation procedure that must be flawed for this to have transpired the way it did.

This same thing could happen on any rural road in any state if the emergency services are not trained properly.

[h2co-pilot]

I will first off admit that I have limited knowledge on GPS and Onstar function. I am concerned because shortly I will be 4 wheeling in a designated park that has limited cellphone reception, but I am sure they have rescue plans and procedures.

Will someone please correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that the problem lies with the category of the Onstar call.

In the 911 tapes that Paragon intelligently posted, the Onstar rep said the button was pressed. But there was screaming heard and no attempt to speak to the rep. The airbags did not deploy then? Or did they deploy and place the call to Onstar? Maybe the airbags placed the call or signal and it was misinterpreted as a less emergent call if it was pressed. Then so the rep would have put a more emergent status which would demand further rescue attempt other than the rangers or police helping another vehicle in the area. The word Hummer was indicated on the tape however. Does anyone know about that? I am confusing myself.

I believe, as most of you do, that those in police and rescue are there for because they want to be and are very diligent and courageous people and I do not want to jump on them because it was a difficult situation.

And Hummers_Suck, the post is well taken but your forum name is needlessly negative.

[DRTYFN]

Originally posted by shaggy:

Could you do everyone a favor and change your screen name? We've already got a Shaggy, and it's just too weird seeing intelligent coherent posts with that name over them. It's like some kind of Bizarro world or Twilight Zone.

Thanks in advance.

[Hummoron]

Ok, my story about what I thought happened is completely wrong by what is getting reported in the paper now. Most of my key points were what had been reported by the paper and I assumed they were correct.

The beach does not usually have terrain violent enough to roll a pickup (with the exception of the dunes which are off limits because of the fragile vegetation) at normal speeds. The maximum allowed speed is 25 mph and must be reduced to 15 when within 100 feet of another vehicle. Considering the number of people who drive their pickups on the beach without rolling them, it just seemed unlikely that he would roll (what I would assume is) a much more stable hummer going at normal (up to to 35) speeds. I couldn't find anything online that mentioned how often vehicles overturn while on the beach. I'm sure the rangers have some stories to tell, but I didn't find them.

I also assumed that they both made it out of the surf, which would have gave some credence to your hope that the rangers could have saved them. Assuming they rolled at the waters edge and they were unable to get out of the surf and onto the sand, I would also assume that it is pretty unlikely that the rangers could have gotten there on time even if they had gone straight to them. Although they did perish from hypothermia and not drowning according to the current reports) so maybe there was hope.

Now, the map that someone posted showed the gps point as being quite a ways out in the water. I initially assumed that both the coordinates and the map were slightly off and that the accident occurred on the waters edge. However, if they were driving in the ocean (albeit a shallow section), that would also account for the sudden terrain change that could roll a hummer without Adam being able to see and avoid it. After the accident, one or both climbed on top of the vehicle to get out of the water and that is when OnStar got the call. And that is where they stayed waiting for help until the tide rose.

But I just can't imagine anyone being so stupid as to drive their hummer in salt water (which is going to get into every crevice to rot out the metal) and to drive so far out into the OCEAN with it as to be afraid or unable to get back to shore on their own. Just boggles my sick mind. I am honestly open to someone giving a reasonable explanation of how this accident could have occurred without Adam being overly reckless and foolhardy.

Maybe there was a gut cut by a recent storm that rolled the hummer at the waters edge...but they still should have been able to get to the beach and out of the surf.

Regardless of the cause, no one has suggested that someone else did anything that caused the accident. Assuming they weren't attacked by a herd of killer ponies that caused the hummer to roll, the driver of the hummer is the only person responsible for their deaths. Everyone here wants to treat Adam as some kind of saint after his actions caused his own death, but want to belittle the rangers who responded and tried to rescue them (and they didn't have my attitude about humorons).

Despite what others have claimed, the park rangers duties are:


http://www.nps.gov/asis/orv.htm

National Park Service staff can:
•Assist with removing sand from around the tires
•Deflate tires
•Use traction devices such as boards
•Make a phone call on your behalf to friends/family
•Provide information regarding local towing services

National Park Service staff cannot:
•Winch or pull the vehicles out
•Recommend a towing company

Yes, a distress call in the winter is much more important than someone just stuck in the sand in the middle of summer, but overall you are on your own to get yourself out of any jam you get into. Many 4-wheelers have demonstrated that when driving with some sense, the beach can be a fun and safe activity. Act stupid and all bets are off.

[tower]

Whoa, there, Sparkey!

I have put many posts on this thread regarding responsibility. Nowhere did I mention blame. Two entirely different notions.

Second, Ali, if your still reading this, please understand that drty LOVES getting a rise out of people. It's a quality I find kind of endearing, but you'll miss that part of it if you can't differentiate his (sometimes harsh) ribbing from his straight talk. I think sometimes even he gets them confused. Lastly, I'm sure you're not a stalker, but just in case you might be, PM me a photo and I'll send you my contact info.

I hope this got at least a small smile out of you. We all grieve, but we all must move on.

[Buckeye Hummer]

I hate on-star. EVERY time I attempted to call them for directions I lost the connection, basically, get around mountains and forget about getting that stupid cell signal.

Furthermore, they employ a bunch of numbnut idiots in Detroit to answer the calls, most likely with very little education, hardly the person I want answering the phone in an emergency.

[beachinJeeper]

I'd like to, but everyone knows me as shaggy (nickname since high school many a years ago), and so it is, and thanks, I think, for the compliment about intelligent posts, but the name is what it is, go to stripers on line, or pier and surf, same name same feelings, I don't hide and try where ever, to keep my name, so those who like or dislike know, I have my thoughts and try not to hide behind anything.

Besides, "It's a Jeep thing", and I am comfortable with it.

[PARAGON]

Email address for Letter to the Editor of the paper that's been reporting:

editor@octnews.com

[KIDZBOX]

So this does beg the question of emergency services responding to On Star. I hear all those ads on the radio where everything goes flawlessly. I would have hoped that if On Star contacts an emergency service then that service would do everything possible to locate the vehicle. Obviously from the conversation the On Star operator had with the emergency people it wasn't a crank call.

And why would the ranger need a landmark? Even if the GPS coords are off a little surely you'd see a H2 wouldn't you?

Question is tho is if the girl was found 5 miles away did she walk or was the H2 washed down the coastline for 5 miles or was she? I don't know the area.

If the vehicle was washed away maybe 5 miles does make a difference in a search?

[H2Finally]

LasVegas, while I feel that I comprehend your point, nevertheless, the analogy seemed inaccurate. A plane crash is often immediately fatal. Not so in this Hummer accident.

In my mind a closer analogy would be if the plane crashed in a remote island, but everyone survived. An SOS was sent and received, but was given a cursory search and rescue effort (ie. no fly over). HOURS LATER, the victims then died of HYPOTHERMIA.

This is less about cause of his death, but more of why wasn't he saved?

I feel that if the search and rescue effort was perhaps closer to the standard that Marcmedic and Tower operate under, we will now be discussing heroism of the rangers involved -- instead of cursing their incompetency.