Ice Road Rescue (2015–…): Season 7, Episode 1 - Marathon Mission - full transcript
Thord and Bjoern are tested to the limits when they have to rescue a truck from falling into a lake. Stig, Chrstoffer and trainee Markus struggle with an extra large truck near the riverside.
♪♪
THORD: The truck, it's close to
disconnecting from the trailer,
and this disconnecting,
then the trailer go.
NARRATOR:
These Norwegian roads
are some of Europe's most dangerous,
whether it's in the northern wilderness
or the southern fjords,
drivers face down hostile conditions.
THORD: Stop, stop.
People are crazy.
NARRATOR: It's enough to
send even the best of them
over the edge.
MAN:
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
NARRATOR: Throughout Norway,
an elite force of rescuers keep
the country on the move during
one of the most
unpredictable winters in decades.
THORD: Today is a windy
day up on the mountain.
NARRATOR: Freak weather brings
extra danger to the roads.
And to the rescuers.
BJOERN: The wind, you can
see the truck is blowing over.
NARRATOR:
Forcing them to unite.
THORD:
Now the best team is together.
NARRATOR:
More than ever before.
MAN: Hey!
THORD: The life is good in the mountain.
(shouting)
MARKUS: Ah, it works.
THORD:
And now you're feel you are alive.
This year, everything
is bigger and tougher,
but I'm ready.
Bring it on.
NARRATOR: In Norway, an
early winter storm sweeps in.
Unseasonably warm winds
bring rain and snow.
It falls on icy ground,
causing carnage across
Norway's near 100,000 kilometers of road.
Caught in the middle of the chaos is
ice road rescuer Thord Paulsen.
THORD: Now the tough winter
is coming to my, uh, territory.
Now, it's good.
Now, I'm happy.
(speaking in native language)
NARRATOR:
Across the southern mountains,
Thord works day and night
to keep the traffic moving.
THORD:
I have chain in the trucks,
and in Norway you need the chain on.
If not...
(quacks)
This season is starting very good.
It had been a lot of work
at first, but for me, I like it.
Now, everybody start calling.
Now, it's (inaudible).
Now everything start problems.
But it's good.
It's snowing.
We are happy.
NARRATOR: From his headquarters in Odda,
Thord heads up a six million
Euro rescue and repair company,
with 35 staff and 20 tow trucks.
THORD: I see there is a lot
of trucks and cars standing
all over so it's really slippery.
It's maybe two degrees, so.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
NARRATOR: Thord's finishing one job,
only for another to come in.
THORD: There is semi-trailer,
who's gone out of the road,
and they tell me that the road is closed.
NARRATOR: On lower ground,
where freezing rain
coats the roads in ice,
a truck has jack-knifed,
its trailer left hanging above
a steep slope that drops down to a lake.
THORD: The problem with this road,
it's a very bad road.
It's small road.
NARRATOR:
The truck blocks RV13;
the national route connecting
the port of Stavanger to northern Norway.
NARRATOR: It's narrow, twisty
and notorious for accidents.
THORD: The
road is really, really bad.
In the winter, it's really
dangerous to drive there.
It can come an avalanche.
It's coming, it's stones.
It's really dangerous to drive this road.
NARRATOR: It's midnight.
Thord is with his 17-year-old son Eirik,
and in a lightweight tow truck.
He's going to need more fire power.
THORD: Now, I have a plan
that I need one more truck.
If not, I think we have a big problem.
NARRATOR: He calls in his biggest
eight-wheel drive rescue truck
and experienced Tor Bjorn,
who's worked for Thord for over ten years.
After a 50 kilometer drive,
they rendezvous at the crash site.
THORD: [bleep]
THORD:
Now, when I come to this place,
I see there is truck and trailer
and it's really out of the road.
And the cabin is standing
the wrong way.
So, I have, I have a lot of work, I see.
NARRATOR: Thord asks
the driver what happened.
THORD: Everything good?
MAN: Yes, I think so.
THORD: You were on your way up?
MAN: No, the other way.
THORD: Then you hit
the wall and spun around?
MAN: Yes.
NARRATOR:
The driver was heading downhill,
off the mountain,
when he spotted an animal.
He swerved to avoid it, lost control,
skidded 300 meters, then rammed
the truck into a wall to stop.
The truck jackknifed,
skewing the trailer
and its seven ton load of clothing
over the road edge
and a 30 meter drop into the lake.
His quick thinking might
just have saved his life.
Ah, this driver was very
lucky because the trailer could
flip the, the truck over
and it could be
really big accident for the driver.
NARRATOR: The trailer's
still at risk of tipping over.
Thord and Tor Bjorn need to bring their
best game to this rescue,
if they're going to recover
the truck and re-open the road.
THORD: The problem is if
you pull it towards us,
the trailer will twist and tip over.
THORD: And this work is really bad because
there is no distance.
There's only space or this truck.
No place for you can work.
And no one, we have to
turn over the, the truck
and the problem is this, uh,
stone on the side of the road.
This is problem.
Big problem.
NARRATOR: The truck is
pinned between the stone wall
and the steep slope.
The day was warm, leaving
the ground soft and unstable.
The trailer could slide
towards the lake at any moment.
THORD: This is so big work
that we need two big trucks.
So, then I have to
call my collector Bjoern,
the lonesome wolf from Eidfjord.
He have to come and help.
NARRATOR: From his garage in Eidfjord,
rescue legend
Bjoern Laegreid has battled to
keep Norway's roads open for 34 winters.
BJOERN:
This season, I'm ready for anything.
NARRATOR: He teams up with
Thord for the toughest rescues.
We have a good partnership.
NARRATOR: Tonight,
Bjoern's been working non-stop.
He's only 20 minutes' drive away
and heads straight to the crash site.
Bjoern's eight-wheel drive
tow truck is capable of
pulling a 90 ton load.
He backs in close.
Then joins Thord and Tor Bjorn.
The team need a plan.
BJOERN: It would be
best if I pull
the front
of the truck towards here.
It's really [bleep] tricky!
In this area is not so very big space.
It's very small so, of course,
it's not so big place
to stand with our trucks.
NARRATOR: There's no room to maneuver.
But Thord thinks he's found a solution.
The best thing is to bring in
an excavator,
clear this area
and then tow it straight up.
BJOERN:
Since the road is too small,
and where the truck is standing,
we have to take away all the stone so
we can have more space around it.
-BJOERN: An excavator it is then.
-THORD: Yes.
So, I called for
one man who have excavator.
THORD: Hello.
NARRATOR:
The excavator will create space,
but it's two hour's drive away.
This is a very unstable area.
And it's standing
very long out of the road,
so it can tip over any time.
THORD: If it falls, it falls.
THORD: The waiting hours when
you are on a place like this
is, uh, crazy for me.
And you know, if you waiting one hour,
it's like ten hours
when you stand waiting.
For me, the time goes very slowly.
NARRATOR: If the trailer's seven ton
load of clothing shifts,
or the soft ground gives way,
then it's game over.
THORD: It could go anytime.
The ground is
little bit problem
because in the night it's frozen,
but in the day it's a lot of mud there.
Yeah, the truck can slide down
and then we have a big problem
because then it's get a lot of damage.
NARRATOR:
It's now 6:00 in the morning,
but with the excavator on site,
work begins to clear the
ten cubic meters of stone wall.
As day breaks, the trailer
is still in position and
the excavator has
created a space wide enough
for the tow trucks to work in,
but in the morning light,
Thord makes an alarming discovery.
THORD: [bleep].
That looks really nasty!
BJOERN: Look here. Oh [bleep]!
THORD: That's what scares me.
BJOERN:
There's massive pressure on it.
THORD: I know the, the trailer is only
holding on a damaged kingpin.
If this breaks, then the trailer is gone.
NARRATOR: The kingpin
connects the trailer to
the fifth wheel platform on the cab.
It's being forced out
by the acute angle
and unsupported weight of the trailer.
It's close to lifting clear,
or even breaking clean off.
THORD: That could uncouple at any moment.
Then it will all go to [bleep].
♪♪
NARRATOR: In Overhalla,
close to the Arctic Circle,
veteran tow trucker Jo Roger runs a rescue
and repair business that's
been in his family for four generations.
This season,
we are getting bigger, and, uh,
that's why we need
more men to get the jobs done.
NARRATOR: His territory
covers 1,700 kilometers of road.
And this far north,
winter storms usually bring
heavy snowfall, not rain.
And when rain hits frozen roads,
it washes away salted grit,
making driving a danger sport.
Jo Roger monitors the conditions.
JO ROGER: Yes, yes I will.
NARRATOR:
Experience tells him that somewhere,
someone will be in trouble.
JO ROGER: Alright, bye.
There is, uh, extreme
slippery today and it's raining
and the condition is
changing very quickly.
(phone ringing)
JO ROGER: Hello.
NARRATOR: A call comes in.
One of the biggest trucks
allowed on Norwegian roads
has skidded, then
buried itself in soft snow,
coming to a stop only
30 meters from a frozen river.
The 40 ton truck trailer combination,
connected by a draw bar,
is carrying stock for a supermarket.
JO ROGER:
When I'm stuck in the office, I hate it.
NARRATOR: It's a job that Jo Roger
would love to take on himself,
but he's on desk duty,
so Stig takes up the challenge.
The last two rescues,
Stig has been the rookie.
I'm counting on that
Stig gets the job done.
NARRATOR: This is Stig's
third winter working for
Jo Roger on truck rescue.
He takes Jo Roger's biggest rescue truck,
equipped with two 20 ton winches.
But has he the skills
and experience to take on
a 40 ton mega truck?
Um, being in charge of an
operation like this means I have
to take care of the people I work with,
and if anything goes wrong it's my fault.
NARRATOR: Joining Stig is Kristopher
and 17-year-old apprentice Markus.
They take the rotator truck,
featuring a platform mounted
winch that turns 360 degrees
to reach deep into tight spots.
STIG: It's very slippery,
and that's all we know,
and it's quite a big one,
it's 25 meters long.
NARRATOR: After a 60 kilometer drive,
Stig now sees exactly
what he's up against.
The driver is okay.
He's sitting in his truck, just
angry about the road conditions.
You could have hit
the river, ongoing traffic,
there is a cliff side on the
other side where he went out,
so he's one lucky guy.
It's a big project because, um,
it's larger than regular trucks.
It's fairly new to have, uh,
these large trucks in our area.
The roads aren't built
for that up here, so, uh,
it's a new experience for all of us.
NARRATOR: Modular trucks of up
to 60 tons have been allowed on
the roads in Jo Roger's
territory for only two years.
This would be a difficult
rescue whatever the conditions,
but the incoming storm
will make it much harder.
STIG: It's, um...
A storm coming in, so
the roads are slippery, um.
There's black ice all over.
NARRATOR: Adding pressure,
the accident blocks one lane of
the road, which begins
to choke with traffic.
Stig needs to work fast.
STIG: The plan is to
hook up both of our trucks,
one at the front of the
trailer and one at the back,
and straighten it out and
pull it backwards a bit till
the truck reaches the edge.
NARRATOR: Stig and Kristopher
talk through the details.
KRISTOPHER:
If you're positioned over there,
I can bring the back
of the trailer towards you.
Then pulling from the front of the trailer
should bring it up next to me.
Then we can turn the hitch around up here.
STIG: Yes, that will work.
NARRATOR:
Due to their weight and length,
Stig plans to tow the truck
and trailer out separately.
But before he starts, there
are preparations to be made.
Rescue 101; remove
all obstacles to get to battle.
STIG: That's no good,
we'll have to cut it.
STIG: We have to remove
the light plate on the back of
the trailer because we need
to get the strap through there,
and then, then we have
to get down and get dirty.
STIG: You know that in
50% of rescue cases in winter,
you keep warm by shoveling snow.
MARKUS:
Before we start pulling up the trailer,
we need to dig and we can
guess who's need to do that.
STIG: The snow is very compact and heavy.
Well, since Markus is, uh, new,
he has to do some digging.
I'm pretty happy, so I
don't have to do this.
STIG: Yep, there's more.
(blows)
NARRATOR: Snow cleared,
the rig begins.
STIG:
Are you sure there's nothing
that will cut
or tear the wire when we pull?
-KRISTOPHER: Yes.
-STIG: Absolutely sure?
KRISTOPHER: Yes.
NARRATOR: With the wires in place,
the team now need to
position their tow trucks using
the full width of the road.
The crash is on RV17,
known as the coastal highway.
Until now, traffic's
been able to file past,
but not any more.
STIG: Okay.
So, we're going to close the road now.
We're going to have it closed for an hour.
NARRATOR: The road authority
gives Stig one hour to complete
the rescue, then the road must re-open.
It's in the middle of the day,
so there's a lot of
traffic going on this road.
So, we need to reposition
the cars and hook them up,
then it's action.
NARRATOR: Kristopher moves the
rotator truck into position,
then drops the stabilizer arms
for maximum grip on the ice.
-STIG: You feed out the wire, we'll pull.
-KRISTOPHER: Yeah, that's good.
NARRATOR: One wire from
the rotator truck runs to
the steering dolly at
the front of the trailer.
Stig's rescue truck will
pull the trailer backwards,
but there's one final job
before they can start to tow.
STIG: I'll try to disconnect now.
I have to check if the
coupling between the truck
and trailer is opening by itself.
NARRATOR: The trailer's
A-frame draw bar is connected
to the hitch by a pin,
powered by a control unit
on the side of the truck.
STIG: Nope.
NARRATOR: The pin should release at
the press of a button.
Stig tries again.
STIG: We'll see if it pops out or not.
(hisses)
NARRATOR:
The hydraulic system de-pressurizes,
but the pin doesn't release.
STIG:
It's moving just a little.
It doesn't open
right now because it's twisted.
NARRATOR: The hitch was
damaged in the crash
and has twisted around the pin.
Stig needs a solution,
or his big truck rescue
won't even get started.
♪♪
NARRATOR:
In the southern mountains, Thord,
his son Eirik, Bjoern and
Thor Bjorn have worked through
the night to rescue a
jack-knifed truck and trailer
left hanging above a lake.
This is a very unstable
area and it's standing very long
out of the road, so it
can tip over any time.
NARRATOR: They couldn't
begin the tow out until
an excavator cleared more space.
But then, Thord made
an alarming discovery.
BJOERN: There's massive pressure on it.
THORD: That could uncouple at any moment.
Then it will all go to [bleep].
NARRATOR: The kingpin
connecting the trailer
to the cab threatens to lift clear.
THORD: The truck, it's close to
disconnecting from the trailer,
so we need a really good plan for this.
BJOERN: If we connect
it to the front here,
then lift we could see if
we're at the right angle.
THORD: The problem,
it's everything's standing in
the wrong angle,
so it's, it can pull over.
Now, all the weight for this is here.
If this wheel not stay at this place,
everything will pull over.
If we don't pull it
from the right place
and this disconnecting,
then the trailer go.
And the thing is that we
have to winch the trailer
and the truck together.
We not can only winching
in the truck because then
the kingpin can cut off and
then it's tip over to the side.
So, it would be very nice
to have a crane to lift it.
NARRATOR: Thord's plan is for
his big truck at the front to
run one wire to the trailer,
close to the coupling with the cab.
Bjoern will use two wires;
one low down to a trailer wheel,
the other running a large strap
around the body for stability.
Thord's also called in a crane
to support the front of the cab,
angled high so the towing
platform stays aligned with
the trailer kingpin.
Finally, Thord's small truck
will feed one wire low down
to the cab to help bring it forward.
It's now 9:00 in the morning.
The crane truck arrives,
then lowers its outriggers to provide
maximum stability on the softening ground.
THORD: Now, we make a good plan,
so now I think we have to start working...
(laughs)
NARRATOR: The team begin to rig.
Securing the trailer
is their first priority.
But to do this, Bjoern
puts himself in danger.
THORD: The problem is that
we have to go on the backside
because we need
two big straps over this trailer
before we can start any other work.
We need to have it.
There is no other solution.
THORD:
Should we tighten more?
It can tip because I say it can tip.
NARRATOR: Bjoern puts on a brave face.
This tipped over now, we are back...
(speaking in native language)
THORD: Goodbye.
-THORD: Is it tight?
-BJOERN: Tighten a bit more.
THORD: No.
Yes.
NARRATOR: The next stage
of the rig is even riskier.
THORD: We need to connect
some wires on the trailer to
take forwards the trailer.
Now, it's not the easy
place to connect this wire and
it's a little bit dangerous, too.
NARRATOR: They need to pull on
the trailer and cab together
to ease pressure on the kingpin,
so it doesn't unhitch.
For this, they must fix a
wire from Thord's tow truck to
the front of the trailer,
right in the danger zone
between trailer and cab.
THORD: Step up here, since
you're in better shape than me.
NARRATOR: Thord nominates Tor Bjorn.
THORD:
You have to attach the hook in there.
If anything happens,
you run and jump clear.
If the ground gets softer then it
can start moving any time,
so we have to do it
really fast so nothing happens.
TOR BJORN: Connect it here?
THORD: No, you have to
connect it to the back there.
THORD:
If there happens something with this,
then it can be very bad for Tor Bjorn
who is sitting between them.
NARRATOR: Tor Bjorn's added weight risks
unsettling the truck.
If the trailer slides off the hitch,
it could crush him, or even send truck,
trailer and Tor Bjorn over
the road edge to the lake below.
THORD: Attach it to
the chassis mount there!
NARRATOR:
He must move cautiously,
but work fast.
THORD: Ah, if something happens,
Tor gonna have to jump away very quick.
TOR BJORN:
Do you have a shackle?
THORD:
Just try to attach it to the side.
Wait, Bjoern! Don't do anything yet!
-TOR BJORN: It's done.
-THORD: Yes, now get out from there.
NARRATOR: The wire is attached.
Tor Bjorn retreats to safety.
THORD: Yeah, Tor Bjorn did it
and now we secured the trailer.
NARRATOR:
Nine hours after Thord arrived,
the complicated rig is in position.
Now, the team must work together,
synchronizing winches,
so the load is spread
evenly across truck and trailer.
THORD:
Yeah, when you start on work like this,
it's not always go well.
It can be something get destroyed.
You can destroy yourself.
There is many thing can happen.
It's been a long day and night.
So, now we're ready to start the rig.
BJOERN: I'll try to pull
and we'll see what happens.
NARRATOR:
The crane and the two tow trucks
take up the tension.
THORD: Yeah.
THORD:
Now we're lifting the whole thing.
NARRATOR:
Thord now has two priorities;
coordinating the winches and
keeping the team out of danger.
THORD:
Keep clear in case the wire snaps!
BJOERN: Pull toward us now!
Pull a little more.
THORD: If I see something is
very dangerous, then I say stop.
THORD: Wait!
[bleep]!
♪♪
NARRATOR:
In the north of Norway,
in Overhalla, Stig,
Kristopher and apprentice Markus
are battling to rescue a massive
40 ton modular truck and trailer,
carrying stock for a supermarket.
They were rigged and ready to go,
until Stig's rescue plan
came to a sudden stop.
STIG:
I'll try to disconnect now.
NARRATOR:
He needs to unhook the trailer,
but the A-frame draw bar is
clamped tight at the hitch,
which was damaged in the crash.
STIG: This will go so much
faster if we can disconnect it.
There's some tension
to the bolts that's keeping it
in place, so we need to be careful.
NARRATOR: The road
is closed, traffic backs up.
Stig is in a sticky situation.
But then, has a brainwave.
STIG: Are you able to lift the truck?
Then we could release some tension.
NARRATOR:
The truck has air suspension.
If the driver starts the engine,
he can pressurize the system
to raise the back of the truck,
altering the angle to the hitch
and taking some weight off the draw bar.
STIG: Higher!
Higher still!
That's good. Just leave it like that.
NARRATOR: The hitch pin that
runs through the draw bar
is still stuck tight.
But Stig hopes some
gentle persuasion
from a sledgehammer will free it.
STIG: It's off!
NARRATOR:
The draw bar should now pull free.
Stig and Kristopher are back on track.
STIG: And we're ready to start,
so we can pull it on the road.
STIG: OK, start pulling!
STIG: So far, so good.
STIG: Is your end coming up?
Just a little bit further now.
NARRATOR:
The trailer's on the tarmac.
Stage one of Stig's rescue is about done.
STIG: I'll hold it while
you move your wire
to the drawbar and swing it around.
NARRATOR: After a quick re-rig,
Kristopher finishes the job.
STIG: I almost think
you've [bleep] done this before.
This went, um, well as it could go.
It, um, came out the
way we wanted it and, um,
no more damages to the framework,
so part of the job is a success.
NARRATOR: But with the road
closed and worsening weather,
half a job is not good enough.
STIG:
The rain keeps pushing through
all the
layers of your clothes.
So, you're wet all the way through.
The conditions change rapidly
when we have a storm like this.
NARRATOR: The 20 ton truck
is stuck in softening ground.
More rain will only make things worse.
STIG:
We should hook you up right away.
NARRATOR: To save time,
Stig decides to gamble.
Rather than move the
tow trucks into new positions,
he runs a single wire low down
through a pulley attached to
the rotator truck's support leg.
Uh, the plan now is to, um,
tow the truck backwards till
the back wheels hit the road
and then we're gonna twist
the front end of the truck up on the road.
-STIG: Ready?
-KRISTOPHER: Yes.
NARRATOR:
Kristopher directs the driver.
KRISTOPHER:
Take the handbrake off.
Is it off?
-KRISTOPHER: Are you sure it's off?
-MAN: What?
-KRISTOPHER: Is it off?
-MAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: With only one wire
pulling the truck back,
there is nothing else to support it.
-KRISTOPHER: This is some sketchy [bleep].
-STIG: Yeah.
♪♪
KRISTOPHER: Handbrake on!
NARRATOR: Stig's left himself
little room to maneuver.
He repositions the tow wire higher up.
STIG: Handbrake off!
-STIG: This is going perfectly!
-KRISTOPHER: Are you sure about that?
STIG: Oh [bleep]!
Look at this!
The top, do you see how it's leaning?
KRISTOPHER: Yes.
[bleep]!
♪♪
THORD: Yeah.
NARRATOR: In the south, Thord,
Bjoern and Tor Bjorn are trying
to rescue a jackknifed truck and trailer.
After a nine hour rig,
they've begun their first pull.
(rattling)
THORD: Wait.
[exclaims]
NARRATOR:
When Thord called a stop.
THORD: It's that [bleep]
strap there I don't like.
This one will ... snap off.
When the truck turns,
it will get trapped in between.
[bleep], this is a tricky one.
NARRATOR: The strap supporting
the trailer is caught between
the cab wheel.
If it's scissored, the trailer
and it's seven ton load of clothing
risks sliding down the steep slope,
straight into the lake below.
THORD: Let's think of a solution.
BJOERN: We need this to be higher up.
We need to have it higher up.
If not, we can cut it off.
NARRATOR: Bjoern tries
raising the angle of the strap,
but it's not enough.
He now thinks they need to re-rig.
BJOERN: I'll take out
the side-winch
and run a wire
down there through a pulley.
Then I'll get a better low
angle to pull it this way.
I'll then have most of
my winch power low down.
Then it can't tip.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's new
rig will work in two stages;
a third wire from his trucks
runs low down to support
and muscle the trailer sideways.
Thord's light truck now
runs one wire through a pulley
straight onto the cab's front wheel.
This will help swing the cab round,
supported by the crane.
They'll then re-rig,
running two wires to the front of the cab,
one doubled back to increase
the effective pulling power
for the final tow-out.
-THORD: OK, then that's how we'll do it.
-BJOERN: Yeah, let's do it!
NARRATOR: Thord runs wires
low down to the cab wheels,
as Bjoern takes up
the tension in the trailer.
THORD: So, now we start turning
the truck bit by bit,
and very slowly, because
we don't can start to take
everything for, but forwards
before we straighten it up.
NARRATOR:
This rescue started at midnight.
It's now past midday
and this is only their
second attempt at a tow-out.
THORD: There.
(rattling)
THORD: Hold it, Bjoern!
Now watch your wire on the wheel, Bjoern!
I'll pull now.
Bjoern, are you watching out?
We have to do it really
carefully because if I maybe use
my wire too hard,
maybe the, the bolt is,
uh, cutting off for the trailer.
NARRATOR:
The trailer's kingpin could still
separate from the cab's towing platform,
called a fifth wheel.
If they're to keep cab
and trailer connected,
the team must work
their powerful winches
with the lightest of touches.
BJOERN:
How is the angle on the fifth wheel?
THORD: It doesn't look bad!
BJOERN:
We've just got to turn it now!
NARRATOR: The loaded truck
and trailer weighs over 20 tons.
All that weight is
supported by the team's winches.
With the cab pivoting in the air,
the success of this rescue
is balanced on a knife edge.
♪♪
We have to do it really carefully.
NARRATOR: Over 12 hours in,
Thord and Bjoern's battle to
save a truck left hanging
over a lake is far from over.
BJOERN:
OK, let's change the towing points!
NARRATOR: They have to
bring the cab back in line,
but can only work in small steps.
If they de-stabilize the trailer,
it could disconnect.
THORD:
Now we have straightened up the truck,
so now we start to pulling it forward.
THORD: I'll attach it straight
on the drive shaft here!
NARRATOR: The next
stage requires another rig,
the third so far.
They move the wires from
the wheels to the cab's chassis.
This will straight out the tow,
and by running one wire
through a snatch block pulley,
they can effectively
double the winch's power.
Now we need all
the power we can get because
it's really heavy when we are
taking it up from this ditch.
THORD: You ready to give it a go?
THORD: Is it OK on that side?
BJOERN: This side's good.
-THORD: The angle is good?
-BJOERN: Yes.
NARRATOR: It's past 1:00,
13 hours after the rescue began.
It's the first time they
have a chance of pulling
the truck and trailer clear.
THORD: Clear.
THORD: Let's pull.
More power there.
Then I see it's go very nice.
Everything go very good and
it's start to get a little bit faster.
THORD: So, now
we are pulling it full power.
BJOERN: Should I pull more?
♪♪
Wait, wait, wait!
(rattling)
NARRATOR: The team have pulled
the truck three meters forward,
but to gain more ground,
they're going to have to think again.
We have a little problem to get to
the tires up on the asphalt.
NARRATOR: The truck crashed on ice,
but the rising daytime temperature
has brought on a thaw.
The tires now grip just when
Bjoern doesn't want them to.
But it's not tricky 'cause I have always
a solution in my truck.
So, I find some oil and have
it on the asphalt and the tire.
NARRATOR: Oil will help the tire slide.
THORD: Should we pull more?
BJOERN: No, I'm going to
pull the trailer in now.
NARRATOR:
Bjoern takes the lead.
He believes he has the correct
angle on his winch wires
to pull the trailer onto the road.
THORD: Get it over
the edge now, then we'll have it.
Look at what the oil's doing!
-THORD: Can we pull now, Bjoern?
-BJOERN: Yes, pull now!
(wheels skidding)
NARRATOR:
With the trailer wheels on the tarmac,
the team turn all
their winches to full power.
THORD: Yeah.
Finally, the truck is on the road.
NARRATOR:
It's been a mammoth operation,
and it's not over yet.
Now, they need to get the crash
damaged truck and trailer down
from the mountain so the road can re-open.
BJOERN:
So, the truck is up on the road
and, uh,
then we are going to try to start it.
Hopefully, it starts.
NARRATOR: But first, they
have to release the air brakes,
stuck on after the crash.
THORD:
Screw the tube onto there.
NARRATOR: To do this, they
must prime the system with air
from the tow truck's compressor.
Because if we don't have air on it then
the wheel is not going around.
NARRATOR:
Bjoern tries the engine.
(hisses)
THORD: Can you start it?
(engine starts)
NARRATOR: It fires.
BJOERN: Listen to that sound.
NARRATOR: But there's bad news.
THORD:
It's leaking like [bleep] here!
NARRATOR:
The truck's brake system is leaking air.
This is a big leak
and when it's so much like that,
then you don't can get air on it,
so then you don't can get the brakes off.
This is not good.
♪♪
NARRATOR:
In the north, in Overhalla,
Stig took a risk.
To save time, he used a single
wire to tow out a 20 ton truck,
then lost control.
STIG: Oh [bleep]!
Look at this!
[bleep]!
KRISTOPHER: Handbrake on!
-STIG: It was about to...
-KRISTOPHER: Yes.
NARRATOR: Stig was lucky because
rain has melted the road ice,
the truck tires found
grip and held on the brakes.
STIG: The truck got
stuck on the [bleep] edge there.
NARRATOR: But the lack of ice is
also causing problems for Stig.
The truck's front wheels
catch on the steep road edge.
STIG: It's not sliding
because there are no ice left.
STIG:
It's holding back on one wheel,
so it might tip over.
If that happens, game over.
So, um, we have to, um, change
the position so we don't pull it
that much sideways.
We have to re-position the
tow trucks a couple of times
because we need the space to
get the truck up on the road,
and traffic is piling up on both sides.
NARRATOR: Stig's rescue
has closed the road
and the authority want it re-opened.
He moves quickly,
re-positioning his tow truck
then lowering the
rear support for stability.
STIG: Handbrake off!
NARRATOR:
As Kristopher and rookie Markus look on,
he tries one more time.
STIG:
Now it just has to follow.
It's beginning to look very promising.
STIG: You can start turning now.
Handbrake on!
STIG:
It, uh, went perfect.
No more damage.
No more nothing.
It's just time-consuming when it's so big.
-STIG: This wasn't so bad.
-MAN: No, not at all.
NARRATOR:
The driver's relieved,
his truck is safe to be
driven away for repair.
STIG:
Now that the truck is up,
I'm quite relieved because
the weather is not on our side this time.
-STIG: You're drenched, too.
-KRISTOPHER: Yep.
All the boys that were there did
what were supposed to do,
so I'm proud of them.
All in all, very happy.
♪♪
-THORD: Can we pull now, Bjoern?
-BJOERN: Yes, pull now!
NARRATOR:
Over 14 hours after the call out,
in a complex and
challenging rescue, Thord,
his son Eirik, Bjoern and Tor Bjorn
have towed out a truck,
trailer and its
seven ton load of clothing.
THORD: Yeah.
NARRATOR: Now, they have
to move it off the mountain
so the road can re-open.
But the air brakes are stuck on.
THORD:
It's leaking like [bleep] here!
(hissing)
NARRATOR: The truck's air lines
are damaged from the crash.
(hissing)
There is a lot of hoses is off.
NARRATOR: It's going nowhere.
THORD:
Can you give me some cable ties?
I have some in my truck.
It's an air hose that's broken,
so we try to fix it.
NARRATOR:
Thord must trace the leaks.
And now we start
to find the leakage but, uh,
we fix one leakage but, uh,
another one is coming, so...
(laughs)
NARRATOR: It's time to improvise.
So, Thord and Bjoern run cable ties around
the worst of the leaks.
THORD:
Tighten that a bit more.
There it is, yes.
Yep.
NARRATOR:
It's their best shot,
but will the truck now
hold enough air
pressure to release its brakes?
THORD:
Do you have enough pressure?
BJOERN:
Yeah. I've got plenty.
NARRATOR: Battle-scarred
but now mobile, the truck is
driven away for repairs.
But the road can't re-open
until the team clear up.
THORD:
Now, I'm very happy because now
we have done a really good work.
We don't destroy anything.
So, now we are
going to get, uh, some pizza
and eat it and enjoy the guys.
Oi, oi, oi, oi.
THORD:
Yes! Great [bleep] work!
I'm very proud of this crew.
Everybody did a very good work.
Captioned by Cotter Media Group.
THORD: The truck, it's close to
disconnecting from the trailer,
and this disconnecting,
then the trailer go.
NARRATOR:
These Norwegian roads
are some of Europe's most dangerous,
whether it's in the northern wilderness
or the southern fjords,
drivers face down hostile conditions.
THORD: Stop, stop.
People are crazy.
NARRATOR: It's enough to
send even the best of them
over the edge.
MAN:
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
NARRATOR: Throughout Norway,
an elite force of rescuers keep
the country on the move during
one of the most
unpredictable winters in decades.
THORD: Today is a windy
day up on the mountain.
NARRATOR: Freak weather brings
extra danger to the roads.
And to the rescuers.
BJOERN: The wind, you can
see the truck is blowing over.
NARRATOR:
Forcing them to unite.
THORD:
Now the best team is together.
NARRATOR:
More than ever before.
MAN: Hey!
THORD: The life is good in the mountain.
(shouting)
MARKUS: Ah, it works.
THORD:
And now you're feel you are alive.
This year, everything
is bigger and tougher,
but I'm ready.
Bring it on.
NARRATOR: In Norway, an
early winter storm sweeps in.
Unseasonably warm winds
bring rain and snow.
It falls on icy ground,
causing carnage across
Norway's near 100,000 kilometers of road.
Caught in the middle of the chaos is
ice road rescuer Thord Paulsen.
THORD: Now the tough winter
is coming to my, uh, territory.
Now, it's good.
Now, I'm happy.
(speaking in native language)
NARRATOR:
Across the southern mountains,
Thord works day and night
to keep the traffic moving.
THORD:
I have chain in the trucks,
and in Norway you need the chain on.
If not...
(quacks)
This season is starting very good.
It had been a lot of work
at first, but for me, I like it.
Now, everybody start calling.
Now, it's (inaudible).
Now everything start problems.
But it's good.
It's snowing.
We are happy.
NARRATOR: From his headquarters in Odda,
Thord heads up a six million
Euro rescue and repair company,
with 35 staff and 20 tow trucks.
THORD: I see there is a lot
of trucks and cars standing
all over so it's really slippery.
It's maybe two degrees, so.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
NARRATOR: Thord's finishing one job,
only for another to come in.
THORD: There is semi-trailer,
who's gone out of the road,
and they tell me that the road is closed.
NARRATOR: On lower ground,
where freezing rain
coats the roads in ice,
a truck has jack-knifed,
its trailer left hanging above
a steep slope that drops down to a lake.
THORD: The problem with this road,
it's a very bad road.
It's small road.
NARRATOR:
The truck blocks RV13;
the national route connecting
the port of Stavanger to northern Norway.
NARRATOR: It's narrow, twisty
and notorious for accidents.
THORD: The
road is really, really bad.
In the winter, it's really
dangerous to drive there.
It can come an avalanche.
It's coming, it's stones.
It's really dangerous to drive this road.
NARRATOR: It's midnight.
Thord is with his 17-year-old son Eirik,
and in a lightweight tow truck.
He's going to need more fire power.
THORD: Now, I have a plan
that I need one more truck.
If not, I think we have a big problem.
NARRATOR: He calls in his biggest
eight-wheel drive rescue truck
and experienced Tor Bjorn,
who's worked for Thord for over ten years.
After a 50 kilometer drive,
they rendezvous at the crash site.
THORD: [bleep]
THORD:
Now, when I come to this place,
I see there is truck and trailer
and it's really out of the road.
And the cabin is standing
the wrong way.
So, I have, I have a lot of work, I see.
NARRATOR: Thord asks
the driver what happened.
THORD: Everything good?
MAN: Yes, I think so.
THORD: You were on your way up?
MAN: No, the other way.
THORD: Then you hit
the wall and spun around?
MAN: Yes.
NARRATOR:
The driver was heading downhill,
off the mountain,
when he spotted an animal.
He swerved to avoid it, lost control,
skidded 300 meters, then rammed
the truck into a wall to stop.
The truck jackknifed,
skewing the trailer
and its seven ton load of clothing
over the road edge
and a 30 meter drop into the lake.
His quick thinking might
just have saved his life.
Ah, this driver was very
lucky because the trailer could
flip the, the truck over
and it could be
really big accident for the driver.
NARRATOR: The trailer's
still at risk of tipping over.
Thord and Tor Bjorn need to bring their
best game to this rescue,
if they're going to recover
the truck and re-open the road.
THORD: The problem is if
you pull it towards us,
the trailer will twist and tip over.
THORD: And this work is really bad because
there is no distance.
There's only space or this truck.
No place for you can work.
And no one, we have to
turn over the, the truck
and the problem is this, uh,
stone on the side of the road.
This is problem.
Big problem.
NARRATOR: The truck is
pinned between the stone wall
and the steep slope.
The day was warm, leaving
the ground soft and unstable.
The trailer could slide
towards the lake at any moment.
THORD: This is so big work
that we need two big trucks.
So, then I have to
call my collector Bjoern,
the lonesome wolf from Eidfjord.
He have to come and help.
NARRATOR: From his garage in Eidfjord,
rescue legend
Bjoern Laegreid has battled to
keep Norway's roads open for 34 winters.
BJOERN:
This season, I'm ready for anything.
NARRATOR: He teams up with
Thord for the toughest rescues.
We have a good partnership.
NARRATOR: Tonight,
Bjoern's been working non-stop.
He's only 20 minutes' drive away
and heads straight to the crash site.
Bjoern's eight-wheel drive
tow truck is capable of
pulling a 90 ton load.
He backs in close.
Then joins Thord and Tor Bjorn.
The team need a plan.
BJOERN: It would be
best if I pull
the front
of the truck towards here.
It's really [bleep] tricky!
In this area is not so very big space.
It's very small so, of course,
it's not so big place
to stand with our trucks.
NARRATOR: There's no room to maneuver.
But Thord thinks he's found a solution.
The best thing is to bring in
an excavator,
clear this area
and then tow it straight up.
BJOERN:
Since the road is too small,
and where the truck is standing,
we have to take away all the stone so
we can have more space around it.
-BJOERN: An excavator it is then.
-THORD: Yes.
So, I called for
one man who have excavator.
THORD: Hello.
NARRATOR:
The excavator will create space,
but it's two hour's drive away.
This is a very unstable area.
And it's standing
very long out of the road,
so it can tip over any time.
THORD: If it falls, it falls.
THORD: The waiting hours when
you are on a place like this
is, uh, crazy for me.
And you know, if you waiting one hour,
it's like ten hours
when you stand waiting.
For me, the time goes very slowly.
NARRATOR: If the trailer's seven ton
load of clothing shifts,
or the soft ground gives way,
then it's game over.
THORD: It could go anytime.
The ground is
little bit problem
because in the night it's frozen,
but in the day it's a lot of mud there.
Yeah, the truck can slide down
and then we have a big problem
because then it's get a lot of damage.
NARRATOR:
It's now 6:00 in the morning,
but with the excavator on site,
work begins to clear the
ten cubic meters of stone wall.
As day breaks, the trailer
is still in position and
the excavator has
created a space wide enough
for the tow trucks to work in,
but in the morning light,
Thord makes an alarming discovery.
THORD: [bleep].
That looks really nasty!
BJOERN: Look here. Oh [bleep]!
THORD: That's what scares me.
BJOERN:
There's massive pressure on it.
THORD: I know the, the trailer is only
holding on a damaged kingpin.
If this breaks, then the trailer is gone.
NARRATOR: The kingpin
connects the trailer to
the fifth wheel platform on the cab.
It's being forced out
by the acute angle
and unsupported weight of the trailer.
It's close to lifting clear,
or even breaking clean off.
THORD: That could uncouple at any moment.
Then it will all go to [bleep].
♪♪
NARRATOR: In Overhalla,
close to the Arctic Circle,
veteran tow trucker Jo Roger runs a rescue
and repair business that's
been in his family for four generations.
This season,
we are getting bigger, and, uh,
that's why we need
more men to get the jobs done.
NARRATOR: His territory
covers 1,700 kilometers of road.
And this far north,
winter storms usually bring
heavy snowfall, not rain.
And when rain hits frozen roads,
it washes away salted grit,
making driving a danger sport.
Jo Roger monitors the conditions.
JO ROGER: Yes, yes I will.
NARRATOR:
Experience tells him that somewhere,
someone will be in trouble.
JO ROGER: Alright, bye.
There is, uh, extreme
slippery today and it's raining
and the condition is
changing very quickly.
(phone ringing)
JO ROGER: Hello.
NARRATOR: A call comes in.
One of the biggest trucks
allowed on Norwegian roads
has skidded, then
buried itself in soft snow,
coming to a stop only
30 meters from a frozen river.
The 40 ton truck trailer combination,
connected by a draw bar,
is carrying stock for a supermarket.
JO ROGER:
When I'm stuck in the office, I hate it.
NARRATOR: It's a job that Jo Roger
would love to take on himself,
but he's on desk duty,
so Stig takes up the challenge.
The last two rescues,
Stig has been the rookie.
I'm counting on that
Stig gets the job done.
NARRATOR: This is Stig's
third winter working for
Jo Roger on truck rescue.
He takes Jo Roger's biggest rescue truck,
equipped with two 20 ton winches.
But has he the skills
and experience to take on
a 40 ton mega truck?
Um, being in charge of an
operation like this means I have
to take care of the people I work with,
and if anything goes wrong it's my fault.
NARRATOR: Joining Stig is Kristopher
and 17-year-old apprentice Markus.
They take the rotator truck,
featuring a platform mounted
winch that turns 360 degrees
to reach deep into tight spots.
STIG: It's very slippery,
and that's all we know,
and it's quite a big one,
it's 25 meters long.
NARRATOR: After a 60 kilometer drive,
Stig now sees exactly
what he's up against.
The driver is okay.
He's sitting in his truck, just
angry about the road conditions.
You could have hit
the river, ongoing traffic,
there is a cliff side on the
other side where he went out,
so he's one lucky guy.
It's a big project because, um,
it's larger than regular trucks.
It's fairly new to have, uh,
these large trucks in our area.
The roads aren't built
for that up here, so, uh,
it's a new experience for all of us.
NARRATOR: Modular trucks of up
to 60 tons have been allowed on
the roads in Jo Roger's
territory for only two years.
This would be a difficult
rescue whatever the conditions,
but the incoming storm
will make it much harder.
STIG: It's, um...
A storm coming in, so
the roads are slippery, um.
There's black ice all over.
NARRATOR: Adding pressure,
the accident blocks one lane of
the road, which begins
to choke with traffic.
Stig needs to work fast.
STIG: The plan is to
hook up both of our trucks,
one at the front of the
trailer and one at the back,
and straighten it out and
pull it backwards a bit till
the truck reaches the edge.
NARRATOR: Stig and Kristopher
talk through the details.
KRISTOPHER:
If you're positioned over there,
I can bring the back
of the trailer towards you.
Then pulling from the front of the trailer
should bring it up next to me.
Then we can turn the hitch around up here.
STIG: Yes, that will work.
NARRATOR:
Due to their weight and length,
Stig plans to tow the truck
and trailer out separately.
But before he starts, there
are preparations to be made.
Rescue 101; remove
all obstacles to get to battle.
STIG: That's no good,
we'll have to cut it.
STIG: We have to remove
the light plate on the back of
the trailer because we need
to get the strap through there,
and then, then we have
to get down and get dirty.
STIG: You know that in
50% of rescue cases in winter,
you keep warm by shoveling snow.
MARKUS:
Before we start pulling up the trailer,
we need to dig and we can
guess who's need to do that.
STIG: The snow is very compact and heavy.
Well, since Markus is, uh, new,
he has to do some digging.
I'm pretty happy, so I
don't have to do this.
STIG: Yep, there's more.
(blows)
NARRATOR: Snow cleared,
the rig begins.
STIG:
Are you sure there's nothing
that will cut
or tear the wire when we pull?
-KRISTOPHER: Yes.
-STIG: Absolutely sure?
KRISTOPHER: Yes.
NARRATOR: With the wires in place,
the team now need to
position their tow trucks using
the full width of the road.
The crash is on RV17,
known as the coastal highway.
Until now, traffic's
been able to file past,
but not any more.
STIG: Okay.
So, we're going to close the road now.
We're going to have it closed for an hour.
NARRATOR: The road authority
gives Stig one hour to complete
the rescue, then the road must re-open.
It's in the middle of the day,
so there's a lot of
traffic going on this road.
So, we need to reposition
the cars and hook them up,
then it's action.
NARRATOR: Kristopher moves the
rotator truck into position,
then drops the stabilizer arms
for maximum grip on the ice.
-STIG: You feed out the wire, we'll pull.
-KRISTOPHER: Yeah, that's good.
NARRATOR: One wire from
the rotator truck runs to
the steering dolly at
the front of the trailer.
Stig's rescue truck will
pull the trailer backwards,
but there's one final job
before they can start to tow.
STIG: I'll try to disconnect now.
I have to check if the
coupling between the truck
and trailer is opening by itself.
NARRATOR: The trailer's
A-frame draw bar is connected
to the hitch by a pin,
powered by a control unit
on the side of the truck.
STIG: Nope.
NARRATOR: The pin should release at
the press of a button.
Stig tries again.
STIG: We'll see if it pops out or not.
(hisses)
NARRATOR:
The hydraulic system de-pressurizes,
but the pin doesn't release.
STIG:
It's moving just a little.
It doesn't open
right now because it's twisted.
NARRATOR: The hitch was
damaged in the crash
and has twisted around the pin.
Stig needs a solution,
or his big truck rescue
won't even get started.
♪♪
NARRATOR:
In the southern mountains, Thord,
his son Eirik, Bjoern and
Thor Bjorn have worked through
the night to rescue a
jack-knifed truck and trailer
left hanging above a lake.
This is a very unstable
area and it's standing very long
out of the road, so it
can tip over any time.
NARRATOR: They couldn't
begin the tow out until
an excavator cleared more space.
But then, Thord made
an alarming discovery.
BJOERN: There's massive pressure on it.
THORD: That could uncouple at any moment.
Then it will all go to [bleep].
NARRATOR: The kingpin
connecting the trailer
to the cab threatens to lift clear.
THORD: The truck, it's close to
disconnecting from the trailer,
so we need a really good plan for this.
BJOERN: If we connect
it to the front here,
then lift we could see if
we're at the right angle.
THORD: The problem,
it's everything's standing in
the wrong angle,
so it's, it can pull over.
Now, all the weight for this is here.
If this wheel not stay at this place,
everything will pull over.
If we don't pull it
from the right place
and this disconnecting,
then the trailer go.
And the thing is that we
have to winch the trailer
and the truck together.
We not can only winching
in the truck because then
the kingpin can cut off and
then it's tip over to the side.
So, it would be very nice
to have a crane to lift it.
NARRATOR: Thord's plan is for
his big truck at the front to
run one wire to the trailer,
close to the coupling with the cab.
Bjoern will use two wires;
one low down to a trailer wheel,
the other running a large strap
around the body for stability.
Thord's also called in a crane
to support the front of the cab,
angled high so the towing
platform stays aligned with
the trailer kingpin.
Finally, Thord's small truck
will feed one wire low down
to the cab to help bring it forward.
It's now 9:00 in the morning.
The crane truck arrives,
then lowers its outriggers to provide
maximum stability on the softening ground.
THORD: Now, we make a good plan,
so now I think we have to start working...
(laughs)
NARRATOR: The team begin to rig.
Securing the trailer
is their first priority.
But to do this, Bjoern
puts himself in danger.
THORD: The problem is that
we have to go on the backside
because we need
two big straps over this trailer
before we can start any other work.
We need to have it.
There is no other solution.
THORD:
Should we tighten more?
It can tip because I say it can tip.
NARRATOR: Bjoern puts on a brave face.
This tipped over now, we are back...
(speaking in native language)
THORD: Goodbye.
-THORD: Is it tight?
-BJOERN: Tighten a bit more.
THORD: No.
Yes.
NARRATOR: The next stage
of the rig is even riskier.
THORD: We need to connect
some wires on the trailer to
take forwards the trailer.
Now, it's not the easy
place to connect this wire and
it's a little bit dangerous, too.
NARRATOR: They need to pull on
the trailer and cab together
to ease pressure on the kingpin,
so it doesn't unhitch.
For this, they must fix a
wire from Thord's tow truck to
the front of the trailer,
right in the danger zone
between trailer and cab.
THORD: Step up here, since
you're in better shape than me.
NARRATOR: Thord nominates Tor Bjorn.
THORD:
You have to attach the hook in there.
If anything happens,
you run and jump clear.
If the ground gets softer then it
can start moving any time,
so we have to do it
really fast so nothing happens.
TOR BJORN: Connect it here?
THORD: No, you have to
connect it to the back there.
THORD:
If there happens something with this,
then it can be very bad for Tor Bjorn
who is sitting between them.
NARRATOR: Tor Bjorn's added weight risks
unsettling the truck.
If the trailer slides off the hitch,
it could crush him, or even send truck,
trailer and Tor Bjorn over
the road edge to the lake below.
THORD: Attach it to
the chassis mount there!
NARRATOR:
He must move cautiously,
but work fast.
THORD: Ah, if something happens,
Tor gonna have to jump away very quick.
TOR BJORN:
Do you have a shackle?
THORD:
Just try to attach it to the side.
Wait, Bjoern! Don't do anything yet!
-TOR BJORN: It's done.
-THORD: Yes, now get out from there.
NARRATOR: The wire is attached.
Tor Bjorn retreats to safety.
THORD: Yeah, Tor Bjorn did it
and now we secured the trailer.
NARRATOR:
Nine hours after Thord arrived,
the complicated rig is in position.
Now, the team must work together,
synchronizing winches,
so the load is spread
evenly across truck and trailer.
THORD:
Yeah, when you start on work like this,
it's not always go well.
It can be something get destroyed.
You can destroy yourself.
There is many thing can happen.
It's been a long day and night.
So, now we're ready to start the rig.
BJOERN: I'll try to pull
and we'll see what happens.
NARRATOR:
The crane and the two tow trucks
take up the tension.
THORD: Yeah.
THORD:
Now we're lifting the whole thing.
NARRATOR:
Thord now has two priorities;
coordinating the winches and
keeping the team out of danger.
THORD:
Keep clear in case the wire snaps!
BJOERN: Pull toward us now!
Pull a little more.
THORD: If I see something is
very dangerous, then I say stop.
THORD: Wait!
[bleep]!
♪♪
NARRATOR:
In the north of Norway,
in Overhalla, Stig,
Kristopher and apprentice Markus
are battling to rescue a massive
40 ton modular truck and trailer,
carrying stock for a supermarket.
They were rigged and ready to go,
until Stig's rescue plan
came to a sudden stop.
STIG:
I'll try to disconnect now.
NARRATOR:
He needs to unhook the trailer,
but the A-frame draw bar is
clamped tight at the hitch,
which was damaged in the crash.
STIG: This will go so much
faster if we can disconnect it.
There's some tension
to the bolts that's keeping it
in place, so we need to be careful.
NARRATOR: The road
is closed, traffic backs up.
Stig is in a sticky situation.
But then, has a brainwave.
STIG: Are you able to lift the truck?
Then we could release some tension.
NARRATOR:
The truck has air suspension.
If the driver starts the engine,
he can pressurize the system
to raise the back of the truck,
altering the angle to the hitch
and taking some weight off the draw bar.
STIG: Higher!
Higher still!
That's good. Just leave it like that.
NARRATOR: The hitch pin that
runs through the draw bar
is still stuck tight.
But Stig hopes some
gentle persuasion
from a sledgehammer will free it.
STIG: It's off!
NARRATOR:
The draw bar should now pull free.
Stig and Kristopher are back on track.
STIG: And we're ready to start,
so we can pull it on the road.
STIG: OK, start pulling!
STIG: So far, so good.
STIG: Is your end coming up?
Just a little bit further now.
NARRATOR:
The trailer's on the tarmac.
Stage one of Stig's rescue is about done.
STIG: I'll hold it while
you move your wire
to the drawbar and swing it around.
NARRATOR: After a quick re-rig,
Kristopher finishes the job.
STIG: I almost think
you've [bleep] done this before.
This went, um, well as it could go.
It, um, came out the
way we wanted it and, um,
no more damages to the framework,
so part of the job is a success.
NARRATOR: But with the road
closed and worsening weather,
half a job is not good enough.
STIG:
The rain keeps pushing through
all the
layers of your clothes.
So, you're wet all the way through.
The conditions change rapidly
when we have a storm like this.
NARRATOR: The 20 ton truck
is stuck in softening ground.
More rain will only make things worse.
STIG:
We should hook you up right away.
NARRATOR: To save time,
Stig decides to gamble.
Rather than move the
tow trucks into new positions,
he runs a single wire low down
through a pulley attached to
the rotator truck's support leg.
Uh, the plan now is to, um,
tow the truck backwards till
the back wheels hit the road
and then we're gonna twist
the front end of the truck up on the road.
-STIG: Ready?
-KRISTOPHER: Yes.
NARRATOR:
Kristopher directs the driver.
KRISTOPHER:
Take the handbrake off.
Is it off?
-KRISTOPHER: Are you sure it's off?
-MAN: What?
-KRISTOPHER: Is it off?
-MAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: With only one wire
pulling the truck back,
there is nothing else to support it.
-KRISTOPHER: This is some sketchy [bleep].
-STIG: Yeah.
♪♪
KRISTOPHER: Handbrake on!
NARRATOR: Stig's left himself
little room to maneuver.
He repositions the tow wire higher up.
STIG: Handbrake off!
-STIG: This is going perfectly!
-KRISTOPHER: Are you sure about that?
STIG: Oh [bleep]!
Look at this!
The top, do you see how it's leaning?
KRISTOPHER: Yes.
[bleep]!
♪♪
THORD: Yeah.
NARRATOR: In the south, Thord,
Bjoern and Tor Bjorn are trying
to rescue a jackknifed truck and trailer.
After a nine hour rig,
they've begun their first pull.
(rattling)
THORD: Wait.
[exclaims]
NARRATOR:
When Thord called a stop.
THORD: It's that [bleep]
strap there I don't like.
This one will ... snap off.
When the truck turns,
it will get trapped in between.
[bleep], this is a tricky one.
NARRATOR: The strap supporting
the trailer is caught between
the cab wheel.
If it's scissored, the trailer
and it's seven ton load of clothing
risks sliding down the steep slope,
straight into the lake below.
THORD: Let's think of a solution.
BJOERN: We need this to be higher up.
We need to have it higher up.
If not, we can cut it off.
NARRATOR: Bjoern tries
raising the angle of the strap,
but it's not enough.
He now thinks they need to re-rig.
BJOERN: I'll take out
the side-winch
and run a wire
down there through a pulley.
Then I'll get a better low
angle to pull it this way.
I'll then have most of
my winch power low down.
Then it can't tip.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's new
rig will work in two stages;
a third wire from his trucks
runs low down to support
and muscle the trailer sideways.
Thord's light truck now
runs one wire through a pulley
straight onto the cab's front wheel.
This will help swing the cab round,
supported by the crane.
They'll then re-rig,
running two wires to the front of the cab,
one doubled back to increase
the effective pulling power
for the final tow-out.
-THORD: OK, then that's how we'll do it.
-BJOERN: Yeah, let's do it!
NARRATOR: Thord runs wires
low down to the cab wheels,
as Bjoern takes up
the tension in the trailer.
THORD: So, now we start turning
the truck bit by bit,
and very slowly, because
we don't can start to take
everything for, but forwards
before we straighten it up.
NARRATOR:
This rescue started at midnight.
It's now past midday
and this is only their
second attempt at a tow-out.
THORD: There.
(rattling)
THORD: Hold it, Bjoern!
Now watch your wire on the wheel, Bjoern!
I'll pull now.
Bjoern, are you watching out?
We have to do it really
carefully because if I maybe use
my wire too hard,
maybe the, the bolt is,
uh, cutting off for the trailer.
NARRATOR:
The trailer's kingpin could still
separate from the cab's towing platform,
called a fifth wheel.
If they're to keep cab
and trailer connected,
the team must work
their powerful winches
with the lightest of touches.
BJOERN:
How is the angle on the fifth wheel?
THORD: It doesn't look bad!
BJOERN:
We've just got to turn it now!
NARRATOR: The loaded truck
and trailer weighs over 20 tons.
All that weight is
supported by the team's winches.
With the cab pivoting in the air,
the success of this rescue
is balanced on a knife edge.
♪♪
We have to do it really carefully.
NARRATOR: Over 12 hours in,
Thord and Bjoern's battle to
save a truck left hanging
over a lake is far from over.
BJOERN:
OK, let's change the towing points!
NARRATOR: They have to
bring the cab back in line,
but can only work in small steps.
If they de-stabilize the trailer,
it could disconnect.
THORD:
Now we have straightened up the truck,
so now we start to pulling it forward.
THORD: I'll attach it straight
on the drive shaft here!
NARRATOR: The next
stage requires another rig,
the third so far.
They move the wires from
the wheels to the cab's chassis.
This will straight out the tow,
and by running one wire
through a snatch block pulley,
they can effectively
double the winch's power.
Now we need all
the power we can get because
it's really heavy when we are
taking it up from this ditch.
THORD: You ready to give it a go?
THORD: Is it OK on that side?
BJOERN: This side's good.
-THORD: The angle is good?
-BJOERN: Yes.
NARRATOR: It's past 1:00,
13 hours after the rescue began.
It's the first time they
have a chance of pulling
the truck and trailer clear.
THORD: Clear.
THORD: Let's pull.
More power there.
Then I see it's go very nice.
Everything go very good and
it's start to get a little bit faster.
THORD: So, now
we are pulling it full power.
BJOERN: Should I pull more?
♪♪
Wait, wait, wait!
(rattling)
NARRATOR: The team have pulled
the truck three meters forward,
but to gain more ground,
they're going to have to think again.
We have a little problem to get to
the tires up on the asphalt.
NARRATOR: The truck crashed on ice,
but the rising daytime temperature
has brought on a thaw.
The tires now grip just when
Bjoern doesn't want them to.
But it's not tricky 'cause I have always
a solution in my truck.
So, I find some oil and have
it on the asphalt and the tire.
NARRATOR: Oil will help the tire slide.
THORD: Should we pull more?
BJOERN: No, I'm going to
pull the trailer in now.
NARRATOR:
Bjoern takes the lead.
He believes he has the correct
angle on his winch wires
to pull the trailer onto the road.
THORD: Get it over
the edge now, then we'll have it.
Look at what the oil's doing!
-THORD: Can we pull now, Bjoern?
-BJOERN: Yes, pull now!
(wheels skidding)
NARRATOR:
With the trailer wheels on the tarmac,
the team turn all
their winches to full power.
THORD: Yeah.
Finally, the truck is on the road.
NARRATOR:
It's been a mammoth operation,
and it's not over yet.
Now, they need to get the crash
damaged truck and trailer down
from the mountain so the road can re-open.
BJOERN:
So, the truck is up on the road
and, uh,
then we are going to try to start it.
Hopefully, it starts.
NARRATOR: But first, they
have to release the air brakes,
stuck on after the crash.
THORD:
Screw the tube onto there.
NARRATOR: To do this, they
must prime the system with air
from the tow truck's compressor.
Because if we don't have air on it then
the wheel is not going around.
NARRATOR:
Bjoern tries the engine.
(hisses)
THORD: Can you start it?
(engine starts)
NARRATOR: It fires.
BJOERN: Listen to that sound.
NARRATOR: But there's bad news.
THORD:
It's leaking like [bleep] here!
NARRATOR:
The truck's brake system is leaking air.
This is a big leak
and when it's so much like that,
then you don't can get air on it,
so then you don't can get the brakes off.
This is not good.
♪♪
NARRATOR:
In the north, in Overhalla,
Stig took a risk.
To save time, he used a single
wire to tow out a 20 ton truck,
then lost control.
STIG: Oh [bleep]!
Look at this!
[bleep]!
KRISTOPHER: Handbrake on!
-STIG: It was about to...
-KRISTOPHER: Yes.
NARRATOR: Stig was lucky because
rain has melted the road ice,
the truck tires found
grip and held on the brakes.
STIG: The truck got
stuck on the [bleep] edge there.
NARRATOR: But the lack of ice is
also causing problems for Stig.
The truck's front wheels
catch on the steep road edge.
STIG: It's not sliding
because there are no ice left.
STIG:
It's holding back on one wheel,
so it might tip over.
If that happens, game over.
So, um, we have to, um, change
the position so we don't pull it
that much sideways.
We have to re-position the
tow trucks a couple of times
because we need the space to
get the truck up on the road,
and traffic is piling up on both sides.
NARRATOR: Stig's rescue
has closed the road
and the authority want it re-opened.
He moves quickly,
re-positioning his tow truck
then lowering the
rear support for stability.
STIG: Handbrake off!
NARRATOR:
As Kristopher and rookie Markus look on,
he tries one more time.
STIG:
Now it just has to follow.
It's beginning to look very promising.
STIG: You can start turning now.
Handbrake on!
STIG:
It, uh, went perfect.
No more damage.
No more nothing.
It's just time-consuming when it's so big.
-STIG: This wasn't so bad.
-MAN: No, not at all.
NARRATOR:
The driver's relieved,
his truck is safe to be
driven away for repair.
STIG:
Now that the truck is up,
I'm quite relieved because
the weather is not on our side this time.
-STIG: You're drenched, too.
-KRISTOPHER: Yep.
All the boys that were there did
what were supposed to do,
so I'm proud of them.
All in all, very happy.
♪♪
-THORD: Can we pull now, Bjoern?
-BJOERN: Yes, pull now!
NARRATOR:
Over 14 hours after the call out,
in a complex and
challenging rescue, Thord,
his son Eirik, Bjoern and Tor Bjorn
have towed out a truck,
trailer and its
seven ton load of clothing.
THORD: Yeah.
NARRATOR: Now, they have
to move it off the mountain
so the road can re-open.
But the air brakes are stuck on.
THORD:
It's leaking like [bleep] here!
(hissing)
NARRATOR: The truck's air lines
are damaged from the crash.
(hissing)
There is a lot of hoses is off.
NARRATOR: It's going nowhere.
THORD:
Can you give me some cable ties?
I have some in my truck.
It's an air hose that's broken,
so we try to fix it.
NARRATOR:
Thord must trace the leaks.
And now we start
to find the leakage but, uh,
we fix one leakage but, uh,
another one is coming, so...
(laughs)
NARRATOR: It's time to improvise.
So, Thord and Bjoern run cable ties around
the worst of the leaks.
THORD:
Tighten that a bit more.
There it is, yes.
Yep.
NARRATOR:
It's their best shot,
but will the truck now
hold enough air
pressure to release its brakes?
THORD:
Do you have enough pressure?
BJOERN:
Yeah. I've got plenty.
NARRATOR: Battle-scarred
but now mobile, the truck is
driven away for repairs.
But the road can't re-open
until the team clear up.
THORD:
Now, I'm very happy because now
we have done a really good work.
We don't destroy anything.
So, now we are
going to get, uh, some pizza
and eat it and enjoy the guys.
Oi, oi, oi, oi.
THORD:
Yes! Great [bleep] work!
I'm very proud of this crew.
Everybody did a very good work.
Captioned by Cotter Media Group.