I have held off with this comment but believe it is relevant and it hasn't been mentioned previously. No one has asked about or mentioned the club. The actual drowing of the car is not the issue, it is how events following could damage the club. How much damage has this fiasco done to the clubs reputation, how many prospective members are questioning the clubs ethics? The club has been mentioned numerous times in videos. There would of been both members and committee members on the trip complicit to the details and remained silent. Not everyone in a club can make it to big trips and there would be members and committee members quietly pissed off at the whole situation and the intense scrutiny the last few videos from creators have publicly brought to a new club trying to establish itself.
IMO the club missed the mark and should of reviewed at a meeting or a special event each video, voted on and approved by members and committee before a creator publicly released, possibly for income, any club sanctioned club trip videos to a public forum. If that had occurred this unfortunate event would not have appeared or just been another Cape misfortune video.
A bit of a rant but 4WD clubs and their committees need to be reputable and trusted for businesses, prospective members and land holders who give access and other who work with and help these clubs for the benefit of the members.
I can assure you that the Club is professionally managed to a high standard. Members are an "eclectic" mix of business owners, professionals, retirees .... age-wise they range from mid-late 30s to active septuagenarians


. Many have extensive outback touring experience with (for example), one recently completing a solo 16k+ km traverse of the Gibb River Rd and other parts of Northern and Central Western Australia. All members are encouraged to participate in an extensive theory based learning/assessment session followed by a weekend practical workshop at (usually) Black Duck Creek Park where various exercises in 4wd skills are demonstrated and practised. Part of the weekend is for "+1"/partners to give them confidence behind the wheel in case the main driver becomes incapacitated for whatever reason. Extensive First Aid courses are also offered. Completion of the Black Duck experience is also generally a prerequisite before signing up for any "technical" outings which the Club might organise.
The Cape York incident was a snafu pure and simple. Things happen. The main issues were safety related for the hapless driver. He was fully supported by accompanying members: they stayed with him, got the vehicle relocated out of the "traffic", waited for the flatbed etc.
At the meetings held since, the issue wasn't a big deal. Social media notwithstanding the members are actually empathetic to the situation... while the Pasco River dunking was inadvertent, it was not a failure of process or leadership by the Club.
We have a 'switched on' executive, including a most competent Technical Officer and a Training Officer We are fully registered with various State Govt authorities as required and operate under the auspices of 4WD QLD as do most other registered 4wd clubs.
Hope this clarifies things for our fellow interstate and international owner enthusiasts.

Edit: "apparently" we do have 1 or 2 born-again octogenarians in our ranks



