The Sherp, an ATV on steroids brought to Ontario by Felix Lopes Jr. and marketed by Sudbury-based Lopes spinoff, RufDiamond, has been upgraded to comply with mine safety standards.
The Ukrainian-made product is a rugged, amphibious ATV that can be used for mineral exploration, search and rescue, surveying, pipeline inspection and other activities in remote, difficult-to-access areas.
It’s especially useful for traversing remote terrain during freeze-up in the winter and break-up in the spring.
“The Sherp is a fantastic concept vehicle with amazing capabilities, but the mining industry required a vehicle that met certain criteria for minesite compliance,” said RufDiamond ambassador Daryl Adams.
Additions made to the Sherp include approved step-ups with three points of contact, rollover protection, bench seating in the rear with seatbelts, a backup alarm and illuminated safety flags.
“Also, customers told us that the price point was prohibitive, so we implemented a weekly and monthly rental program,” said Adams.
Two units have been sold to date and the company has four Sherps in its rental fleet.
RufDiamond has partnered with NORCAT to offer a tailored operator training course to ensure safe operation of the Sherp and to acquaint operators with its full range of capabilities in difficult terrain.
In May, the Sherp was used to rescue nine people who were stranded in the bush north of Sudbury and unable to make it out due to heavy mud, deep snow, thin ice, and open water. Two of the individuals needed medical attention.
When snow machines and an Argo ATV failed to reach the party, and an Orange air ambulance had nowhere to land, police contacted Lopes to rescue the men using the Sherp.
