# scary video of a tree being topped



## stumpjumper83 (Dec 24, 2006)

I don't know the background of this video clip, but their is a lucky guy in in. With what he was doing, was the problem that he tied off the top or is their something I'm missing? He is using a block, but should he have had the rope tighter or something. At least he is proficient at tying in. What do you all see?



http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2079229268805955948&q=tree+cutting


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## Freakingstang (Dec 24, 2006)

uhm, what video?


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## bigbadbob (Dec 24, 2006)

New underwear in the stocking!!!!!!:jawdrop:


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## JayD (Dec 24, 2006)

I see a very embarrassed,very lucky climber!!...at least he can chalk it up experience,..and not be he's epitaph


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## Ekka (Dec 24, 2006)

It's been around a while that one.

Here's the digitally remastered copy with pointers and slow motion as presented in The Australian Arborage by myself recently.

Around 3mins and 3mb wmv

www.palmtreeservices.com.au/video/yeeha.wmv


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## JohN Dee (Dec 25, 2006)

Ekka said:


> It's been around a while that one.
> 
> Here's the digitally remastered copy with pointers and slow motion as presented in The Australian Arborage by myself recently.
> 
> ...



Yeah I read your comment in the earlier issue of this year about your digitally remasterd vid Ekka. I've seen the original and i've seen yours - You have done a great job editing it.


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## twoodward15 (Dec 25, 2006)

Having never climbed trees or done any real tree work, I have to say that when I watched the videos it looked to me that he didn't expect the top to come down. I thought he was putting his saw down and was going to give the top a little push to make it go over. I may not know what I am talking about, but that is what it looked like to me. Watch again and see what you think.


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## 911crash (Dec 25, 2006)

the video makes you double check the health of the tree before you do that. sometimes you have to suck it up because of structures or landscape below, the only thing you can do to minimize the ride is to let the load run and not let it stop to quick. I've been on many rides and you never quite get used to it.


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## DDM (Dec 25, 2006)

I Believe he was probably cussing his groundy for not letting the top run.


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## Shaun Bowler (Dec 25, 2006)

I have taken down a lot of Eucs that had to be lowered that way.
Are you guys saying this was wrong?
Is there some other way besides climbing up another 10 feet?
If that guy did anything wrong was not prepare for "the ride".


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## ukeman (Dec 25, 2006)

*been there done that !!!!*

HA I have been there before, the worst part about it is the stub that this guy hangs onto broke my nose I never left a stub on that side of the tree again!!!!!! OUCH I also got really really pissed off at the my ground guy!! Was not a uke(looks like what he is in) but a lodge pole pine, I wish it was the last time that happened but it was the worst. 
Its funny you can see him getting ready for whats gonna happen, I can almost hear him yelling "oh S$%#T"


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## ukeman (Dec 26, 2006)

*ps*

He did not do much wrong mostly the ground guy not letting it run, but he should have been more careful were he left stubs. just my 2 cents


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## JayD (Dec 26, 2006)

In my humble opinion,firstly Ekka points out a few things that could have been better,but I didn't say in my first post on this vid because if you are not there handling the rope judging when to start brakeing the top,...wires other obstacles and things we cant see because we just wasn't there,one thing for sure he was lucky he stayed secured to the tree,lucky it was structurally sound otherwise it could have been a fatality caught on camera, me I would have taken the top out a bit smaller if it takes longer to get it down so what as long as we all go home to our families...maybe let it run a little longer.ifs butts,maybe's,the climber might be a bit worse for wear after this one...no one hurt, only hurt ego's...great it becomes a training vid..good work Ekka.
my two bobs worth!
All The Best


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## neighborstree (Jan 1, 2007)

what was the ground guy doing to make the rope tention up that much, i can only assume it got cought up on something, ot it would of been a nice smooth run


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## Lonnie (Jan 6, 2007)

*looks to me*

Looks like to me the guy was tring to take out to much at one time.... He is very lucky that the tree didn't break out from under him.....I took to much out one when i was starting out doing tree work and the tree busted ( high chaired) down to my spurs befor it broke out ... so now i try to go upas high as i can the smaller i get the top the smaller the pain if some thing goes wrong,,,,,,


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## youknowwho (Jan 16, 2007)

That was the rope mans fault all the way. Ive roped countless tops like that and you really got to let them runn down as far as posibble.


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## Lonnie (Jan 16, 2007)

Im thinking if the guy in the tree wasn't taking so much out it wouldn;t have been so bad if something did go wrong like it did... A good ground man is hard to fine and he probly did do something wrong..I myself would have climber higher just for my safety..


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## minderaser66 (Jan 17, 2007)

i watched it like 3 times, couple things ....dont ever leave a stub pointing at you. He should have known it was gonna do that. looks lie the groundman let it run a little then dead stopped it! big no no. he should have tied a morel right above the top of the box then go up a little and tied his clove hitch.it wouldnt have jumped out so far. the peice was real heavy, jumped out way too far and wasnt lowered correctly.
i might have punched the guy on the rope in the ear for that one!


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## infomet (Jan 24, 2007)

No tree experience here, but a bit of rigging...
Looks like a risky operation at best.
With something that heavy, that high, once it starts running the rope is going to be screaming and lots of things could happen, like snagging the groundie's leg and taking him up, or snagging/tangling and snapping the spar or the rope when it pulled up tight.

Why not just put a tag line on it to be sure it falls the right way and let her rip, with no block, if there aren't things on the ground to protect? Really there was nothing to keep the top from falling backward over his head. He wasn't even looking at it when it started falling.

I'll bet he really puckered up when he saw it moving!


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## Curtis James (Feb 16, 2007)

This is one thing I go over with my cousin who works as my ground man. He wants to stop the peice short istead of letting it decelerate in the system. He is finally catching on after several talks and another guy that I highered that has prior experience being the ground man. Nothing even close to this has ever happened when we are shock loading but he has frustrated me on past occasions. I think the loopie sling helps prevent having all that slack in the pulley tie off spot also. and it is faster to attach the the cow hitch. Cool video class ekka. Thanks.


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## Treeman587 (Feb 19, 2007)

Did anyone think about this? We are not seeing his rig at the bas of the tree. What if the groundman had too many wraps on the port-a-wrap or the line on the p-o-w crossed and locked him up?


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## spongygumz (Feb 21, 2007)

*ride of his life*

Hiyo Silver! And Away !!!!!!


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## spongygumz (Feb 21, 2007)

*ride of his life*

Hiyo Silver! And Away !!!!!!


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## Soul Assassin (Feb 21, 2007)

Was a groundman doing rope work ? What do you expect when you cut that much wieght and even if it didn't slam into the trunk...better hang on. Talk about a ragdoll.

No hard hat, hello ?


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## Curtis James (Feb 22, 2007)

Lest we not forget about moment. as the top goes forward it is pushing the spar back. also an open face notch would have been better then the conventional 45.


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## diltree (Feb 24, 2007)

You cant blame it on the groundie, how do we know he had the liberty of letting the piece ride, who know what was at the base of the tree? He tied the piece off a few to many feet above his notch, this added to the length of the drop before impact on the line, in essence greatly increasing the shock load. He should have tied a half hitch a few inches above the notch then finished it of with a Running bowline a few feet above the half hitch. By just reducing the drop by a foot he would have decreased the shock load by at least 50%.....


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