OK, here’s a winch story, although it didn’t happen directly to me:
A colleague was out in the wilds of Kazakhstan looking for some old suspended wellsites.
He was in a Landcruiser with a Kazakh driver and a translator.
No roads, just some trails.
They came to a small dried creek-crossing.
My buddy instructed the driver to put it in 4x4 before attempting it, but the driver just went in 2-WD & got stuck.
Only after they were stuck did the driver explain that the 4-wheel drive didn’t work.
The steps of Kazakhstan grow no trees, but my friend is a resourceful guy.
1st he pulled the winch-cable out almost to the end.
Then he & the translator dug a hole in the earth about 2 feet deep & 4 feet across.
This was a tough job using only a wheel wrench & their bare hands.
Finally they took the spare tire, attached it to the cable & buried it in the hole.
After the hole was filled, he told the driver to winch himself out.
Only then did the driver inform them the winch didn’t work.
They spent a long, cold & uncomfortable night in the Landcruiser.
We found them the next morning