# Adrenaline overdose, confidence checkup, awareness lesson, terrifying reminder!!!



## igetbisy (May 19, 2004)

got ready for work the other day, had a good healthy breakfast, feeling all tuned up and clear, and ready to go to work. I took the top 20' out of a 60' sugarpine I was removing, put the pull line back on it, and came down about 12 foot to make the next cut. diameter at this point was about 16", faced it up, had the groundie pulling on the pull line, and started my back cut. I cut until the backcut began to open, and then looked up to steer it. I was suddenly flooded with horror, (please excuse the language here) "OH ???? OH ???? OH ????" I began to tremble for what I saw when I looked up to steer the huge chunk was, god forbid, MY LIFELINE!!! in all my past, fear usually resulted in razor sharp reactions and pinpoint focus. this , for the first time scared me beond that, or mabye I just wasn't satisfied with the reaction time it took me to get off the line. anyway, my groundies were strangers, not familiar with tree work, due to circumstance, but fortunately, they were bright enough to realize what was happening, and stop pulling, for I beleive they could have pulled it over, actually, I knwo they could have. When I got off the snap, I just collapsed, pretty much, and took a moment in shame, and let the angels get out of the "kill zone". I finally started the saw, triggered for about 1 second, dropped the chunk, and came down for a while, for I wasn't quite so "clear" anymore. There isn't any rips that I haven't already given myself, but go ahead if you like, I've got it comming.


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## blue (May 19, 2004)

nasty story did you need a change of underwear after?a guy in my area did this afew years ago topping out a large poplar.he wasn't as lucky as you he's no longer with us:angel:


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## MasterBlaster (May 19, 2004)

The one good thing about surviving something like that is that you won't ever do it again. Right?

Good to hear you didn't get hurt.


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## igetbisy (May 19, 2004)

no way MB, if I ever were to catch myself even remotely close to overlooking something so elementary again, I'll hang it up, I don't think I'm ready to consider myself not competent enough to be a safe climber, but if i were to do something that rediculously stupid again, I will definitely fire me.
Of the many things going through my mind one of them was the realization that that made me a HUGE liability. if you think you're doing anyone any favors by moonlighting, lets call it, and doing the work cheap, you're just challenging odds, without due rewards.
It was a reminder why we cost so much. I'm a poor negotiator, a softy, i am usually pretty easy to get into, and that has got to change, I have just got to do what I gotta do, and if that means taking more money than someone else thinks is fair, well, I'll offer to let them rent my gear for an hour! or just walk away, I'm not going to start a job knowing that I'm loosing, and walk away feeling lucky I'm alive.
I could babble on and on for haurs, because I still havent finished interpreting the incident to myself, so I'll stop now.


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## geofore (May 20, 2004)

*Where was your second tie in?*

Would your second tie in have caught you and hung everything on the saddle? Would your safetyline/strap/ flipline have held you to the tree and carried the weight of the piece tied to the lifeline? You have time to make this mistake twice in your lifetime. I know it's a heart stopper but were you tied in twice? If you were tied in twice you could have cut your lifeline and let it fly with the piece and stayed in the tree on your safetyline/ strap/ flipline. The ground crew would have to send up another lifeline and clean undies but you have to know it is an option to cut the lifeline but only if you're tied in twice. Not something you would want to do but to save your life you might have to do it. 
Look at it this way, you just overreacted. Remain calm, If it happens a second time and the piece is falling, think: am I tied in twice? If I cut my lifeline will I stay in the tree? This is something you should have known the answer to before you made the cut in case it went wrong. Can I lose one tie in and stay in the tree? Yes, if I'm tied in twice. Tie in twice, it's your life and it's worth the time to tie in twice. There may come a time when the lines tangle and you have to lose a tie in to save your life. Just make sure you're tied in twice. A real rush huh?


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## a_lopa (May 20, 2004)

yeah man thats freaky ,a guy i know whos done a little climbing showed me some photos a while back one was of him scarfing a head up with his life line still above him after i had punched him in the arm and said never to do it again he says, i feel better doing my scarfe like that i just pull it down when i back cut ,freaky


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## NeTree (May 20, 2004)

I think I can safely say that there's not a person here who hasn't done something that scared the living sh!t out of them at least once.

I don't mean just dumb things, like cutting a tied off limb on the wrong side, I mean REALLY scared the bejesus out of yourself.

Don't sweat it too much, jut take your time and stay off auto-pilot.


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## 2ndgclimber (May 21, 2004)

A friend of mine did the same thing last year.he fell about 30 feet.He was busted up pretty bad but lived.It helped me though,when ever im taking a top out the first thing I do is make sure my life line is out.


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## rbtree (May 21, 2004)

I did the same stupid thing 25 years ago. I was topping an 70 foot alder at about 30 feet off the deck. Luckily the top hit ground before the line came taut.


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## a_lopa (May 21, 2004)

that is scary rb, a young guy working for a tree co removing pines fell the top out life line attached using hi v ne and standard prussic, the friction burnt threw prussic no injurys i dont know if hes doin trees anymore,was around 30 ft head


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## Koa Man (May 21, 2004)

After doing a couple of stupid things early in my career, I follow the carpenter's rule of measure twice, cut once. I always check where all my ropes are twice, once before I tie something off and again after I tie it. There have been a few times when I decided to rearrange things after the 2nd look.


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## Lumberjack (May 21, 2004)

I am glad you are safe.


I agree with geofore. 

When the sh*t hits the fan you gotta be calm so you can think it out quickly. 

Since i wouda been TIT I woulda continued my cut straight through the rope and stayed on my lanyard.

Wed morning at this time (3:30 AM) I was pushin the fire up with my tractor. The center of the large brushpile had burned up, leaving a hole. I started pushing stuff into the hole and to the other side to keep the fire stoked. Backing up there was burning wood on both sides of the tractor, and pushing the stuff up made it get even hotter. Anyways I was pushin it in and I was completely inside the fire, I looked down and a piece of wood had gotten caught between the tire and the transmission and rolled up into the clutch linkage. I say oh ???? oh ???? and do my best to kick the chunck out, but to no avail. I hop off the tractor and run and tell the groundies to go get a saw, a pull rope (3/4" double braid) and the 3/4 ton 4x4 truck. I tied the rope to the front axle of the tractor and my groundy tied it off to the tow hook, being careful to keep the rope from melting. I got back on the tractor and the truck pulled it out. I wasnt sure if it could as the tractor weighs over 7k#'s. That was a bad situation, but by remaining calm, i was able to get in out. The piece broke off the transmission filter and its mounting flange. Replacement parts and oil totaled around $350. I only lost a lil hair on my arms .

When the ???? hits the fan, stay calm and think it through. Dont tell yourself how bad the situation is, think of a solution.

Just my 2 cents


Glad your safe.

The top of the rollbar is around 10 foot off the ground to give you an idea.


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## Lumberjack (May 21, 2004)

We didnt take any pics of when I was stuck inside the hell hole, but these give you an idea of the size of the fire.


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## MasterBlaster (May 21, 2004)

*Dang Carl!*

Be careful! You've a graduation to attend!!!


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## Lumberjack (May 21, 2004)

I got practice in 30 min. Just put out a $1300 bid and got back home.


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## igetbisy (May 21, 2004)

Ok, no, I wasn't tied in twice,  and the more I think about it, it's hard to use the word calm, but my reactions were fast and efficient, I just don't think its ever possible to get out of that situation fast enough. every milisecond just eats away at the ego, ya know, and we need our ego. 
also, I should have been tied in twice, but had I actually cut it off, I think that at 30 foot, I would have been happy to leap for the bush next to the LZ.


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## rbtree (May 21, 2004)

Are you saying you didnt even have a lanyard around the trunk? I find that surprising, as few of us would ever do a backcut and pie cut while only attached overhead. You'd have no leverage for making the cuts.


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## rbtree (May 21, 2004)

Yesterday I broke in my new Canon Pro1 8 megapixel camera....and was (am still) feeling under the weather. I spotted a STS crew at work, and tried out the telephoto. See if you can spot things about his gear and work style that could be improved:


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## rbtree (May 21, 2004)

Another.

The two trunks were close together and he was having trouble getting them separated.


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## rbtree (May 21, 2004)

One mo.


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## Dadatwins (May 21, 2004)

> _Originally posted by igetbisy _
> *Ok, no, I wasn't tied in twice,  and the more I think about it, it's hard to use the word calm, but my reactions were fast and efficient, *



I would say dumb luck was in your favor at this job. This is unfortunalty a biz that a big mistake usually gets one into the hospital or worse. Glad you made it through in one piece although rattled a little. Good sometimes to knock down the ego a little I thinks it makes us more aware.


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## igetbisy (May 21, 2004)

gee guys, you're all being so kind, I asked not to be ripped to shreads, but I did expect a little bit of ridicule, especially after the admittal of not being tied in twice, I don't believe I've got the rock on ignore, hmmm. thanks.


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## MasterBlaster (May 21, 2004)

Just be careful, bro.


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## John Paul Sanborn (May 21, 2004)

> _Originally posted by igetbisy _
> *gee guys, you're all being so kind, I asked not to be ripped to shreads, but I did expect a little bit of ridicule, especially after the admittal of not being tied in twice, I don't believe I've got the rock on ignore, hmmm. thanks. *



They only get ugly when someone does not admit something was stupid.

I've done it too, finnishing off on the last day of a storm week, I did not get anywhere near throught the cut though.

I will still work a face and even start a big back cut with tie in on a chunk. I make sure to leave a lot of meat and make sure that there are not decay pockets that will suprise me.

Here is a toast to your luck sir, your presence of mind and your future health!:angel:


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## geofore (May 22, 2004)

*time to rip*

I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. You were not tied in twice??? What were you thinking when you got out of bed in the morning? Today's my lucky day I don't need two tie in points? You spoke of getting out of the buisness if you ever make this mistake again. You didn't make just one mistake. Not having a second tie in was the first mistake. Not moving your lifeline down mistake #2. Not giving the alert ground crew some atta boys for saving your hide is mistake #3. When they make a save they deserve atta boys. Thinking you were fast and efficient is mistake #4, fast and efficient don't make up for mistake #1, Safety First! Two tie in points. Lucky to have an alert ground crew is more like it. Thinking, if I make this mistake again I'll quit tree work is Mistake#5. Making mistakes does not justify quiting. Not learning from your mistakes does. Don't for a miniute think you won't make mistakes again, you may not make the same one twice but you will make mistakes. You will from time to time make them and they will be every bit the rush this one was. That happens. Learn from your mistakes.


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## murphy4trees (May 27, 2004)

I can understand... (that means understand, not condone) not using a lanyard when pruning or cutting limbs.... But topping or working down a spar without a lanyard is inconceivable.....

I almost always cut the notch while tied in above... And on the big stuff, I'll start the bakcut from one side while tied in and finish on the other after moving my TIP..


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## MasterBlaster (May 28, 2004)

I do that all the time, but I don't start any backcut like that. That would skeer me!


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## Rob Murphy (Jun 3, 2004)

*Slingshot!!!*

I was grounding for a friend who "nearly" did what you describe.He had put the face in and was getting set to do the backcut when I noticed that he was still tied into the head with his life line. I got his attention ,I think I jerked his life line or some thing, he looked at me puzzled and I just pointed up.....
He was most gratefull..It wasn't a big tree but it would have been ugly.
Who said... look twice cut once or ABC above ,below ,carabiner.
Take Care


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