# Ten metre fall, picture intensive.



## MrRecurve (Apr 12, 2007)

Two weeks ago I was cleaning a number of cuban royal palms using a 2 rope false crotch technique. I was on my 7th palm of the morning, where I had to prune off a frond with my silky sugoi. I did not have a secondary life line and didnt bother throwing my flip line over a few fronds for a 2nd attachment point 

"it's just one cut with a hand saw"

Ill never make that mistake again. The bull line that was holding my false crotch up, wasnt snug against the trunk like I assumed it was, it was being held out about a foot on a frond stub that I could not see from the ground. If I had bothered to look around the trunk and up before I made my cut, I would have seen that the bull line was sitting 6 inches behind the frond that I was about to remove. 

I reached up and over the frond, made my 1st cut, then next thing I was lying on the ground looking at my prussick in front of me. 

My 1st thought was that the bull line had failed, because I could see my climbing line and prussick laying on the ground in front of me, whole.

While we waited for the ambulance to come, my groundsman, a fellow climber, checked the system to find what had happend, that I had actually severed my anchor line.

I had clipped the corrugated tin roof that is built around the palm at the 5 metre mark, halfway. I and the medicos firmly believe that this initial impact slowed me down and prevented the injury from being far more serious or fatal. It was also this impact which opened up a 5 inch by 1 inch gash in my right shin, through my stihl saw pants. 

I then landed on top of the cement planter box, impacting my right thigh and buttock, falling off the planter box onto my side on the ground. 

1st aid staff at the centre where I was working were on site in seconds; one of them was a 30 year paramedic who took fantastic care of me until the paramedics arrived. The medics had to cut my harness off me so they could roll me over onto a spinal board, fearing spinal and pelvic injuries.

A five minute ambo ride had me at the emergency ward, where they cut all my clothes off, and gave me the first of 3 spinal exams. I was sedated then xrayed twenty times. After another 2 spinal exams and having my leg sutured, I was given the ok and released from the spinal board and neck brace to be kept under observation for 6 hours. 8 hours after arriving, I left the ward on crutches.

You can imagine my relief when I found out that I had broken nothing! I was concious the entire time, and even tho I tried to keep in good spirits to avoid shock, I was ????ting scared that I had cracked my pelvis or spine.

My total injuries, were many many minor bruises and abrasions from contact with the trunk and ground, the cut on my shin which was infected for the 1st week and a half, and the damage in my arse and thigh included a torn glute, hamstring, groin tendon and major deep tissue bruising. 

I was on crutches for the 1st 4 days, and had my 1st climb since the accident, on tuesday this week. I cant trunkwalk yet, but can do small gentle bodythrusts. My stitches come out tomorrow, now that the infection is gone, and I hope to be back at work on monday.

All in all, I still cannot believe how lucky I have been, not to be seriously injured or even killed. Other than my pride, this accident has cost me a 500 dollar harness, a pair of 200 dollar chainsaw pants, 4 alloy carabiners and a figure 8 (rendered useless by the fall onto concrete, a total of around 200 dollars) a 200 dollar spyderco (thrown out with my clothes at the hospital), two weeks off work, several medications and doctors visits. Not bad, considering. 

I am so glad to be able to write this down and share my mistakes and lessons with you guys, glad that I am alive to climb again and able to learn from this.

1. ALWAYS use 2 attatchment points when cutting, handsaw or not.

2. I only used one carabiner as the false crotch, rather than a pulley or two biners. The bend ration is too sharp with one carabiner.

3. The bull line that I used was not my own, and I didnt know the history of it.

4. Always be %100 sure of ALL your ropes locations before you cut.

5. Always wear your chinstrap. Im lucky I didnt impact my head.

6. Never allow yourself or others around you to get complacent about safety.

I appreciate any feedback that people would like to offer







This is the hole I fell through, you can see where the tin is curled over from me clipping it.






This is the planter box I landed on.











This bruising extends all the way THROUGH my thigh into my groin and up to my tailbone






You can see the start of the infection here.






This is my poor glide that they cut off me.






My figure 8 with chips out of it






The piece of my anchor line that I severed.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Apr 12, 2007)

MrRecurve said:


> I reached up and over the frond, made my 1st cut, then next thing I was lying on the ground looking at my prussick in front of me.



Weird feeling, isn't it? One minute THIS, then THAT, and even though a lot happened in between, you have absolutely NO knowledge of it. It's like you just went from one scene in a movie to another, with no transition at all. In those first seconds while you're figuring it out, there's only bewilderment.

Glad you weren't hurt worse!


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## Adkpk (Apr 12, 2007)

Glad to hear your alright. Two things from me. One, cheers to you buddy on the articulate writting, very well discribed (good pics too). Two, thanks, about to start climbing myself and really appreciate you pttuing yourself out there like that to help us all be a little more aware. Glad to hear your back at it, you're hard core MyRecurve.


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## FBX1986 (Apr 12, 2007)

*fall*

glad to hear you are ok we should call you.... lucky


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## arboralliance (Apr 12, 2007)

*Yes...*

You are hardcore Mr Recurve, no doubt about it and a bigger man than most for posting about your mistakes, very honorable!:sword: 

One question, did you wing cut that rope before doing the finishing cut on it?:bang:


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## Tom_Scheller (Apr 12, 2007)

Thanks Recurve. Best wishes.

TS


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## MrRecurve (Apr 12, 2007)

The guys at work are calling me "chopper", and no, no need for wing cuts with that sugoi, Jarrah; couldnt have cut it cleaner with a 20.
Thanks for all the well wishes guys, I do feel pretty down about making such a stupid mistake, I should have known better. Plus sitting around the house for two weeks is driving me mad, not to mention Mrs Recurve, poor lass. Cannot wait to get back to work!

I guess the plus side, after the lessons have been learned, is that I got to buy a whole heap of shiny new kit! New glide is a vast improvement over the older model, and I thought it was comfortable!


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## BlueRidgeMark (Apr 12, 2007)

That won't be a plus side to your wallet!


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## woodfarmer (Apr 12, 2007)

very lucky, glad you didn't get hurt worse


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## aquan8tor (Apr 12, 2007)

Glad you're ok. I feel almost silly sharing my injury here with yours. I hope you're not in too much pain. Rest well.


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## MrRecurve (Apr 12, 2007)

The pain is pretty much over with now, 2 weeks to the day today! The only real discomfort that I have now is nerve damage in my backside, I get hot tearing sensations, pretty painful, when I move or stretch in certain positions. 

Stitches come out this afternoon, I will post picture of the scar!

Aqua, sorry to hear about your eye, that looks nasty!


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## FBX1986 (Apr 12, 2007)

*fall question*

recurve,
what exactly is kit???????


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## BlueRidgeMark (Apr 12, 2007)

"kit" is Brit or Aussie for personal equipment. As in, "Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile!"


WWI song.


There's your trivia for the day!


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## aquan8tor (Apr 12, 2007)

MrRecurve said:


> The pain is pretty much over with now, 2 weeks to the day today! The only real discomfort that I have now is nerve damage in my backside, I get hot tearing sensations, pretty painful, when I move or stretch in certain positions.
> 
> Stitches come out this afternoon, I will post picture of the scar!
> 
> Aqua, sorry to hear about your eye, that looks nasty!






Unfortunately I can relate to those hot tearing sensations--I fell just about 12 feet onto the edge of a cast iron tub a couple years ago and got similar sensations for many months afterwards. I feel your pain. Literally. I'm glad you're alright. As someone who's been there before, it does get better.


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## 046 (Apr 12, 2007)

yeooooch.... boy are you lucky!


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## Beast12 (Apr 13, 2007)

Ya, you are pretty lucky. That would ruin my day.

I make it mandatory that everyone is to be tied in twice when cutting. You just never know. All it takes is less than one second.

Here's to a quick recovery.  

-Matt


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## ropensaddle (Apr 13, 2007)

Get well man that was bad I would thank that roof and god each day
could not imagine survival slamming in to the Crete without the roof slowing 
you down.


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## soutz (Apr 14, 2007)

Thanks for the post. good to know you are goin to be back at it at full power soon.I would also like to say well done for getting back on the horse so to speak. many a good climber has packed it in after a lucky fall or an accident.Climb safe.oh and buy a lottery ticket, that planter should have killed you . you are a lucky man


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## MrRecurve (Apr 14, 2007)

Getting back into it may have been harder for me if a piece of gear or the tree had failed on me, but because I know that it was my mistake, its just a state of mind. 

Dont make that mistake again!!

Thanks for all the well wishes guys, I reckon I am operating at about 90%, back to work on monday.


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## Industry (Apr 14, 2007)

Thankfully you are ok. Did you buy some lotto tickets on the way home from the hospital?


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## treejackyl (Apr 27, 2007)

*hard core*

glade your ok took a few falls doing carpentry...but not since ive started working on trees,hope i dont have any,and lets hope you dont agian


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## treevet (Apr 27, 2007)

You are lucky to get this lesson and live to talk about it. Like ropensaddle said hitting the roof was prob your savior. I took a 40 foot fall about 30 years ago in the early morning on a tree covered with lichens (a fungae/algae) that looks blue green on the side of a tree and spreads during warm humid periods. They are slippery as ice and I was free climbing up tree when my feet went out from under me . Half way down , like you I hit something ( a branch) slowing my fall. I broke three ribs. I worked the rest of the day but had to take off for a while after puncturing my lung w rib while rolling over in bed that night. It is the best lesson I ever learned.


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## CoreyTMorine (Apr 28, 2007)

First off; I’d like to second ADRPK “Glad to hear your alright. Two things from me. One, cheers to you buddy on the articulate writting, very well discribed (good pics too). Two, thanks, about to start climbing myself and really appreciate you pttuing yourself out there like that to help us all be a little more aware. Glad to hear your back at it,” 

Really well described, good work!

Secondly; I’ve always been nervous about the 2 rope false crotch for just that reason. Even if you were tied in twice suppose you didn’t cut all the way through the anchor line? One quick slice on a tight rope might not sever it entirely but could be enough to cause failure after the fact, say while you were thrusting into a new position. 

I sometimes set a remote crotch in a tree other than the one I am working in; to counteract excessive lean of the tree to be worked in, or because the tree is structurally questionable. In either situation the false-crotch anchor line is out of my working area.

Did you come up with any alternative tie in methods? Would a ladder and spike combination work to limit pruning damage while providing a safe work station for the climber? That probably would have been my choice, but I have no idea how palms react to spike wounds.

I’ve also been toying with pipe staging. We had a Teak deck, built around this 24” DBA Norway maple with a huge crotch swell 20 feet up. The staging was slicker than goose ????. Prolly too much set up time for palm pruning, but definitely worth having in your bag of tricks. 

I can rent a 50’ tow behind lift for $250 per day, and if there are more than say 10 or 15 of those in-and-out prunes to do, it can be a real life saver. 


Just my 2 cents, but I think this is a question of the technique (i.e. remote or 2 rope false crotch) being unsafe for the application. I would love to hear of a good alternative.

Best of luck, Corey.


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## MrRecurve (Apr 29, 2007)

The best technique is prevention, I should have sighted my rope before I cut, instead of assuming I was clear. 

Thanks for all the support guys, its good to talk about it and hear what others have to say. I am having more touble getting comfortable in the tree than I thought I would, so am working through things slowly, regaining my confidence. 

The injuries still ache like a bastard after a day in the harness and the nerve damage in my thigh and backside looks like it might be permanent, so I have a constant reminder to be careful!


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