Risk Management Magazine

Ask anyone who regularly pulls a trailer and they will have at least one story about it coming off its hitch, pushing them through a busy intersection, losing its brakes or suddenly getting blown into another lane of traffic. Most of these stories have a humorous side and an uneventful ending. For inexperienced drivers, however, some of these events end in disaster.

On one of our rides, we decided to enjoy the majestic beauty of God’s creation by cruising to the Crazy Horse Memorial and then down to Custer State Park. Traffic in our direction was pretty light that morning and only slightly busier in the oncoming northbound lanes. We were enjoying the ride — but that was about to dramatically change.

While holding onto a rock to stabilize myself, I felt the ground beneath my feet begin to give way. At this point, any movement made my grip weaker. Eventually, I couldn’t hold on any longer and fell. I slid backward for 40 yards down an extremely steep ridge. Luckily, I hit a tree and flipped onto my stomach, still sliding down at a rapid pace.