Close Call

Bodean

Bodean

Cali dreamer
Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
7,833
Location
San Francisco, Kali
Today at work, a climber had a close call, lucky, Lucky Guy for sure. 50 years old climbing since he was 18.

Monterey pine, 70 inch fattie. He was tied in pretty far back, lots of line.
He was about half way out on a 20" x 30' limb, flipped into a 8 inch branch.
He cut a 4 inch crossing branch out on the tip with a pole saw. This limb draped down from above and held this whole limb.
He tripped a mouse trap, His parent limb he stood on suddenly realized its full weight and failed back at the crotch behind him.
The climber acted as a connecter piece of rigging and the piece burned his eye and eye glazing his rope down.
This branch swung hard into the stem following his climbline's arc.
At that moment that this 30' limb snapped out of its union and free fell, the 8" limb he flipped into (wire core) snapped off,
relieving about a thousand lbs or more off his saddle.

We were able to reach the bottom of the limb and lighten it up so he could trow it off his flip line.

Just scratched up and probably gonna have a hella of a black and blue on his leg where the leg strap ripped him.
He said he felt like he was being pulled by two teams of horses.



Be safe. Lets think about everything we're doing.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
No, Willie.

it happened today, We all watched it.

It was tough to see how much tension was on the crossing limb way out at the tip.
 
Yeah, I mean i'm glad it's only a good story rather than a death or serious injury, not that it was made up
 
Ouch, glad he is still with us.

Another good reason to have a soft link in a wire core configuration.
 
what a nightmare. getting dragged down by your tie-in point has always been a scenario that plays in the back if my head. really glad he's ok. good lesson, i'll be bringing this one up at the next safety meeting.
 
I reread the scenario and understand now that he must have ragdolled with the big limb...as part of the rigging. It must have been like a whale pulling him down.

That gives me chills up my back reading that...glad he made it through.
 
Limb tangles: they always change the loads on what we're dealing with. Be it either the limb causing the tangle or the one it is tangled in. It's like cutting grafts in a tree. You got to look at them very carefully. Sometimes it's best that you don't cut them at all. Least until you apply some counter measure to the possible outcome.

Your friend was lucky to survive that one, Deva. A bit sore, but wiser.

Thanks for the heads up!!
 
Wow, glad he's ok.
So the bit he was tied into with the wirecore...that broke after he fell, instead of dragging him down or tearing his harness?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20
Yes Fiona, after the crotch failed of the parent limb way behind him, the "bit" broke off (will of God)
after Ed and Ed's flipline and his climbline all acted like a continuous rigging line swinging/pulled the bit/Ed/20" parent limb
into the trunk of the tree and smashed it off the parent limb. friggin' crazy.
when it smashed is when the parent limb fell from it's pivot point or crotch.
Ed woulda been split if all that weight came on his flipline after dislodging from it's crotch,
let alone carrying that limb through it's arc on your climbline.

Yeah, Paul. Great Job, Tons of fun. We can't ever stop learning or become complacent.

Jerry, He's super sore, came in today for the safety meeting at the crew table.
tweaked back, rattled a little, I hope he takes the rest of the week off.
 
Porkbrick said:
what a nightmare. getting dragged down by your tie-in point has always been a scenario that plays in the back if my head. really glad he's ok. good lesson, i'll be bringing this one up at the next safety meeting.
Click to expand...

Ditto on the tie in nightmare. Long before it was ever discussed or condoned, I always would remove my lanyard before sketchy cuts like that and mentally plan my swing if I had to fall away from the situation and swing back on my lifeline. I remember being trapped by my lanyard exactly once and never made that mistake again. Screw the 'tie in twice for every cut' crap, I want to be able to get away from a bad situation if necessary.
 
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