I wouldn't blame that on the Dodge axle....I don't if any axle could have survived being pulled sideways with the front tire buried like that. What they needed was an exhaust jack to raise up the right side of the vehicle that was buried:

If they could have gotten the right front tire up and out of the mud the axle wouldn't broken like it did. Not sure a shovel would have helped, he needed a bobcat at this point....
Plan B would have been an anchor point in front of the Jeep where they could run the strap through so the jeep could be pulled straight from the position that the Ford was in.
