The Dangers of Riding Alone

[oldtrucks]

PILOT HILL, Calif. -- An Auburn man missing in El Dorado County since Saturday has been found dead, authorities said Tuesday morning.

El Dorado County authorities said search and rescue teams found the body of 47-year-old Fred Baldau at 9:35 a.m. Tuesday about a half mile from the Pilot Hill-area home from which he left Saturday afternoon.

Baldau was riding an all-terrain vehicle and authorities said it appears he crashed the vehicle into a large area of manzanita and was not able to get out.


Crews had been searching for Baldau since Saturday, on the ground and from the air with the aid of a California Highway Patrol helicopter.

http://www.kcra.com/news/10414753/detail.html

[Ken]

NEVER ride alone......for many reasons. That's sad.


That's part of the reason I started this group, is so that anyone could find someone to go riding with them...even if it wasn't the whole group.


I went exploring one time...the first year I got my ATV. I was at Meadow Lake with my family and cousins...but I was backside of the lake..all alone...when I goofed up and rolled my quad over...fortunately, I was able to push back on 4 wheels alone....but it was a wake up call. I would have had a LONG walk back to get help.

[MrPolaris]

wow. . . amazing at how easily one can dissapear in the sierras. . . which jut goes to show, if you are going to kill someone, hide them in the sierras. . .

[oldtrucks]

The sad part is that he was only a 1/2 miles from home when it happened

[Ken]

I know they say most accidents occur near your home, where you're more relaxed...not sure if that's what they meant though.

[MrBill]

Flipped it going up hill. That's what KCRA said.
Shit hope he was doing what he loves...
Most of the miles on my quad are riding along.
If I don't come back sometime be happy for me because I was riding my best toy.

I do tell where I'm going and aprox. what time I'll be back and I run my cel phone GPS on all the time not just on with 911 calls.

[DAVE]

http://www.atvobsession.com/pictures/co ... age11.html

rember this?????? I think Corey would have died under this quad....you can't tell from the pic but when I walked up on this quad i could not even see Corey under it...800 lbs on top of him, with his foot wedged into the back rack...SCARY

[oldtrucks]

rember this??????

All too well, that was probably the first thing I thought of when I heard this story, pretty frightening looking over that edge and seeing the quad upside down and no sign of Cody.

[BearCat]

How is Cody these days btw? Hope all is good, everything back together including the quad I hope?

As far as riding alone..was out with a friend awhile back. I was in front, start around the edge of this huge mudhole, bike drops in and I step off thinking I'm gonna stop it...end up with my legs pinned under the footwell in about 4 feet of mud and I couldn't move. Thank gawd I wasn't alone.
Need to break that habit of "thinking" I can stop 700lbs from going anywhere when things dont go exactly as planned.

BC

[oldtrucks]

Last I heard he was doing well, back to work and back riding the quad!

[dp]

He's doing OK. Good days and OK days. No longer works at the Polaris dealer but STILL RIDING.