tree climbing fail

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Did any one notice he appeared to be sitting in his harness, more so that standing on his spikes? If so, he wouldn't have been able to brace as well. At least he was properly tied in and came out with only bumps and bruises!

I ditto Leon on whippy Norfolk Pines, I took a ride on one two years ago, left a fairly big top and the landscapers pulled it too hard too soon, big hinge, BIG wobble, I managed to hang on though, upright and attached...:|:
 
MasterBlaster said:
Nothing funny about that. Groundies shouldn't be under a climber, and if they are then they'd better be looking UP.

I don't use a lanyard.
Click to expand...

Im a day late on this one. Flew to Schweiz yesterday and had more interesting things to do than turn on the laptop.

Can you imagine how far out that saw could fly in a situation like that?

Or do you simply forbid groundies to go within 100 fet of the tree?

I didn't find it funny, I simply put in the laughing smiley because otherwise someone would most likely bitch at me for being too sarcastic.
 
Like I said, when a climber is above you and especially when their saw is running... you'd better be looking UP.

I always tell groundies to pretend like I wanna kill them, so they'd better pay attention to what I'm doing.
 
I pretty much work without ground help, but I always have the home owner or someone else on site. Having seen this sort of thing happen before to other climbers, I tend to get as high as possible and leave a few branches on. I've had HO ask me to cut lower to "save time" or offer to pull, even pull with a tractor, but I decline and offer them the advice that taking it easy in manageable chunks is the safest way for me to go.

I hope the climber has a speedy and full recovery.

Peter
 
We always called it "making the biggest possible safe cut". Sometimes it is a 10lb piece, sometimes it is 1/2 the tree.
 
Glad that guy was ok. That was a dumb move whoever was calling the shots. Couldn't of been that tall judging by the camera angle either. Why take such a big top on a slow tapered tree like that ? side loading too.
 
...when he finally got on the ground and was still alive, wonder which emotion was on top ...happy to have lived therefore grateful or maybe was a tadger peeved at the crew that helped create such an accident. Maybe a combination
 
That was nutty.

Sounds like poor decisions all around there that day.
Someone said, "live and learn" earlier.

I like what Carl said, at least the whole hillside heard him.
 
Personally, I would want to ring someone's neck. But I see where the climber made some mistakes as well. Sooooooo
If I make a bad call as the climber, I take the responsibility.
 
Looking closely in "slow motion", we can see (barely) that the rigging rope broke at the knot on the top, just outside of the pic's bottom. The sling didn't broke. The broken rope flew over the climber with a snake-like shape.

I agree with Stig with the long reach motion of the flying chainsaw without a lanyard. In this case; it could hit someone anywhere around the LZ.

For the size and the shape of the tree, a french arborist found a "before" pic. See post n°20.
http://www.allo-olivier.com/Forums/viewtopic.php?id=15079&p=2
The vid was taken from the other side of the pic, probably on the left blue balcony. The climber's rope is the red line and the climber the oval blue.
2ex7z8l.jpg
 
Seen that pic, and I will say the same thing here. That tree is a loaded spring looking to fug some one up. He should have gone smaller. There were a lot of other things at play as well. No running the load. What appears to be a biner on a sling and not a block. Angle of TIP on a solid object (no give). Angle of rigging line to porty. His position and how he had not set his spurs and braced.
This whole thing screams of inexperienced to me.
 
MasterBlaster said:
Like I said, when a climber is above you and especially when their saw is running... you'd better be looking UP.

I always tell groundies to pretend like I wanna kill them, so they'd better pay attention to what I'm doing.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna steal this one from you Butch. Very good sir.
 
...I tell groundworkers that trust is developed by working together, much in the spirit of Butch's qoute. Climber has to know that instructions on any piece will be followed preserving my ass and rigging gear...in turn the ground must know I will never set up a rig scheme that is weak or send down a load that cannot be handled ....we both go home safe after work
 
...saw lanyards being a seperate topic that has been discussed before, I appreciate Stig's point but I am more like Butch ... just don't use them regularly. Once in a great while maybe leash to the Tree. Without a leash that guy could have saved himself some beating but also could sent the saw flying like maybe through one of the windows in the building. Probably be embarrassing to knock on the door apologize for the window ask if anyone is hurt, and uhmmm really need the saw back
 
it seems the lowering device is at a big angle to the tree. it pulled the top way over like a catapult. if the portawrap were at the base of the tree, more force would be oriented down the stem. big mistake to have the porty at such an angle like that. one error among many. i think if he did not have a lantard on his saw, that thing could have flown quite a distance and causing someone else trouble.
 
Good point Kevin. My groundie used the Boxer as an anchor on fri for a Big chunk. I suggested a block at the base, but he was confident. Well the Boxer got pulled 5' and scared the Shiite out of him. If I wasn't in a bucket, I would never have let it happen. Lesson learned on his part.
 
...quothe Beranek, "good line angles make for good tree work"... I think of it all the time , sometimes if only for a piece or two steps like adding or moving that block make a huge difference and takes just a few extra minutes.
 
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