One thing, no matter the circumstances, these guys were obviously being complacent, they had probably winched hundreds of logs to the chipper with that same cable and whammo, 1 guy dead, another in crit con.
Very sorry for the deceased's family, I mean no disrespect whatsoever, only to alert others to being overly complacent while doing very dangerous things, that we do day after day over and over again.
They may have winched every day all day long, but that did nothing to make it any safer, only built that false sense of safety, until guys are winching logs and the work just carries on around them.
I have seen this happen more than once, one guy on the ROW falling/slashing, another guy maybe bucking branches and the guy skidding the wood to the chipper totally oblivious to the danger.
This is a scene just ready for a bad accident.
Be aware and work with care, be especially vigilant with the common things we do every day over and over again, this is where accidents happen, as we unfortuneatley have witnessed with this chipping accident.
And when winching clear the bloody path of the flying cable or rope, rope can kill too, if your winching with rope and think your safe to winch through everyone and everything because your using amsteel, your setting youself up for a nasty surprise.
Its not worth the time saved, alert your coworkers, to stand well clear before you winch.
Its the only way.
