# Injured climber rescued in CT



## Dalmatian90 (Sep 8, 2010)

http://www.courant.com/community/bolton/hc-bolton-tree-climber-hurt-0908-20100907,0,2767288.story

Not many details in the story, looks like he was up in spurs doing a take down and hurt his shoulder so he couldn't climb back down.


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## tree md (Sep 8, 2010)

Looks like a stub climbing hack to me. No spikes, no lifeline and no helmet.

The stubs on the spar are a hallmark of an amateur.


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## Cutter1 (Sep 8, 2010)

Why always harpoon someone.Look closer he has a belt and strap.There are many ways to do tree work. Your way is not always the best for some people.


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## tree md (Sep 8, 2010)

Cutter1 said:


> Why always harpoon someone.Look closer he has a belt and strap.There are many ways to do tree work. Your way is not always the best for some people.



The idea is not to harpoon him, the idea is to educate so it doesn't happen to others. 

There is a right way and a wrong way. That is the wrong way and you are very likely to get hurt if you know no better than to do it that way.

As for climbing stubs without a lifeline to come down on, climbing with a lifeline is not only the right way it is the only way.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Sep 8, 2010)

Some people look at those stubs and see handholds and footrests.

I look at them and see something that will rip a man apart if he slips.


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## Muffler Bearing (Sep 8, 2010)

I prefer to say..
I hope he makes a full recovery.


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## tree md (Sep 8, 2010)

The stubs could become a hazard should the climber fall but they are definitely an obstruction for lowering limbs. Anyone who even has the very basic climbing experience will find that even one stub left on the spar will often snag a limb that is being lowered. 

Just an FYI Cutter: Climbing with only a belt and lanyard will not allow the climber to have two tie in points while making cuts. One of the most basic industry standards. Any professional climber is going to take a lifeline along on an ascent so they have a way to quickly descend in the event of a major cut or injury. It could be the difference in making it to the hospital in time to live or being stuck in the tree and bleeding to death while waiting for rescue.


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 8, 2010)

tree md said:


> Looks like a stub climbing hack to me. No spikes, no lifeline and no helmet.
> 
> The stubs on the spar are a hallmark of an amateur.



Word


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## TrillPhil (Sep 8, 2010)

That picture doesn't even make sense....

Once I was on a removal and the climber chunked about a 3 ft piece that had a cable in it. Ash, so not the heaviest but not that light either, especially with the shock load. The cable had been cut from the other side of the tree already and somehow got caught in the flip line. Anyways while this other guy was putting on spikes and saddle, I asked the climber if he wanted me to send him up the bolt cutters or was he hurt too bad. 30 seconds later he cut himself free and rappelled down...


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## Cutter1 (Sep 8, 2010)

Well he should have a rope to.It sure would have let him come down with out a fire truck.All I am saying is give good info on right way just dont say stub climbing hack.Some trees the nubs are a hazzard but take down a norfork pine or a monkey puzzle and I can make fast work of it leaving nubs on sides.I will say I always have my rope and belt with me though.


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## treemandan (Sep 8, 2010)

Cutter1 said:


> Why always harpoon someone.Look closer he has a belt and strap.There are many ways to do tree work. Your way is not always the best for some people.



No, there really aren't to many ways to do tree work. 
I think MD was only stated the fact that the guy was poorly equip for reconsiliation purposes anyway. I mean, I ( for one) I am glad it wasn't one of us professionals, in a morbid sense I feel better that is was , well, who it was.
I think whoever was in charge over there not only screwed himself with his ignorance but also had to bother the fire dept with his, uhm, lack of experiance. I am sure the fire department doesn't agree that there are many to put out a fire. I am pretty sure they go with protocol.
But , yes, good the guy was ok.


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## treemandan (Sep 8, 2010)

From the pic I gather he sent out a chunk of the trunk and that is what hit him.


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## TrillPhil (Sep 8, 2010)

Cutter1 said:


> Well he should have a rope to.It sure would have let him come down with out a fire truck.All I am saying is give good info on right way just dont say stub climbing hack.Some trees the nubs are a hazzard but take down a norfork pine or a monkey puzzle and I can make fast work of it leaving nubs on sides.I will say I always have my rope and belt with me though.



Man, I do not want to be an ####### and do not have the amount of experience that others have.. but I do not see why you would leave a stub, that only gets in my way, going up and when I'm chunking it down. 

I suppose one could leave a nice natural crotch for rigging but I'd rather be using a block.



Also it says he was about 50 ft up. quite possibly he cut the top out and was struck by that, although I originally thought it was a piece of the trunk like Dan said. It looks like he has a power line leather belt and strap in the photo. Had all those stubs not been in the way he could have climbed down "easily" or atleast faster than waiting for FD.


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## Cutter1 (Sep 8, 2010)

1


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## Cutter1 (Sep 8, 2010)

1


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## Cutter1 (Sep 8, 2010)

treemandan said:


> No, there really aren't to many ways to do tree work.
> I think MD was only stated the fact that the guy was poorly equip for reconsiliation purposes anyway. I mean, I ( for one) I am glad it wasn't one of us professionals, in a morbid sense I feel better that is was , well, who it was.
> I think whoever was in charge over there not only screwed himself with his ignorance but also had to bother the fire dept with his, uhm, lack of experiance. I am sure the fire department doesn't agree that there are many to put out a fire. I am pretty sure they go with protocol.
> But , yes, good the guy was ok.



With this statement you agree there is more than one way though.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Sep 8, 2010)

I'm glad you figured out the QUOTE problem, Cutter. Too many don't bother to try. 

You should be able to go back and delete the other posts, now that you've got the problem solved.


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## tree md (Sep 8, 2010)

Yeah, I guess I could have been a little more sensitive in my first response. Never was one to sugar coat things much though. Fact is, this guy is working while disregarding just about every safety standard in the book. He was begging for trouble and got it. It makes the industry look bad. 

Glad he was not more seriously injured. Hopefully he will learn from his mistake and seek some training before he jumps out there and starts back to doing hack work. Sorry but that's how I refer to his style of work. I believe in calling a spade a spade.


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## tree MDS (Sep 9, 2010)

Good God.. hopefully this fool decides to give it up after that embarrassing and painful experience..


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## BlueRidgeMark (Sep 9, 2010)

tree md said:


> Hopefully he will learn from his mistake and seek some training before he jumps out there and starts back to doing hack work..





tree MDS said:


> .. hopefully this fool decides to give it up after that embarrassing and painful experience..





MY PREDICTION:

He'll be back at it as soon as he heals.

Why?


He's got a family to feed. It's what he knows.
He has no clue that what he is doing is "hack work".
He knows it's dangerous work, so he'll just chalk this up to being "part of the deal". He won't learn anything from this.


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## treemandan (Sep 9, 2010)

Cutter1 said:


> With this statement you agree there is more than one way though.



Yes, there are two ways.


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## oldirty (Sep 13, 2010)

hack. the stubs say so and his buckstrap does as well. he's climbing a tree not a telephone pole.

probably doing the work for short money too.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 13, 2010)

TrillPhil said:


> That picture doesn't even make sense....




Before I read the rest of the posts, I will tell what I see. Looks like he used the stubs to stand on and hold on. He was probably was gonna use the money to buy a set of spikes(ha), but if you look at the last cut made, looks like he was doing a removal and decided to top it at that spot. Look at the cut, looks like an upside down V, probably the butt came back on his side and nailed his shoulder,
Probably hurt like hell!
Jeff 
Now I will read on.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 13, 2010)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> I'm glad you figured out the QUOTE problem, Cutter. Too many don't bother to try.
> 
> You should be able to go back and delete the other posts, now that you've got the problem solved.



Too Funny!
Jeff


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## TrillPhil (Sep 13, 2010)

Jeff, that's what I thought at first too, (that he cut the top out) but I can't see well from the angle the photo was taken.. 

Maybe he super glued some nails to his boots, though I don't see any gaff marks on the trunk....

side note: Took down a large beech today, had to drop part of it on a hill. Rather than risk the trunk rolling, left 2 "kick stands" on it. Worked like a charm, I guess I left a stub then.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 13, 2010)

TrillPhil said:


> Jeff, that's what I thought at first too, (that he cut the top out) but I can't see well from the angle the photo was taken..
> 
> Maybe he super glued some nails to his boots, though I don't see any gaff marks on the trunk....
> 
> side note: Took down a large beech today, had to drop part of it on a hill. Rather than risk the trunk rolling, left 2 "kick stands" on it. Worked like a charm, I guess I left a stub then.



To each his own, reasons for everything, makes sense. Just don't try to teach it.
Jeff


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## beowulf343 (Sep 14, 2010)

I'm surprised you guys haven't run across the climbers who are so manly they don't need spikes. We've actually got a forestry college here in new york that graduates tree climbing students without any knowledge of spikes. They show up to a removal planning on standing on stubs or loop runners. I'm not joking.


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## tree md (Sep 14, 2010)

No rule saying you can't leave a stub if need be. I wouldn't leave them down the tree in the lowering path though. That's a rookie move. I will often leave one to rap down off of when I top a tree. But leaving stubs all the way down the spar is going to make for a long day of lowering.

I have run into a couple of climbers who like to do removals without spikes. One of them had spikes but just didn't like to wear them. Said they hurt his feet. He was a very good rope climber and did a good job while working with me so I never said anything to him about it. My guys saw him work and asked me why was he ####ing around and not strapping his spikes on. I was much faster at removals with my spikes and they could see the difference. I also contracted another climber who liked to work on a rope because he said he didn't get any "style points" for climbing on spikes. That didn't last long. You can #### around and get style points on your own jobs. If you're working on my job you better strap up and put the friggin tree on the ground.


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## ggoodman (Sep 14, 2010)

Coming from a fire fighter, 75% of our calls are med calls somethgin like this would be a welcome reprieve from the heart attacks, smoking, other self inflicted med issues I get to go to. As a climber and not an arborist if I was up there working I would want to make sure I had a self sufficient, redundant escape method.

good learning example for us poor lay folk lurking about.


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## Adkpk (Sep 14, 2010)

ggoodman said:


> Coming from a fire fighter, 75% of our calls are med calls somethgin like this would be a welcome reprieve from the heart attacks, smoking, other self inflicted med issues I get to go to. As a climber and not an arborist if I was up there working I would want to make sure I had a self sufficient, redundant escape method.
> 
> good learning example for us poor lay folk lurking about.



Cool to hear form the other side.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 14, 2010)

Watch out where them huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow!
Jeff


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## rarefish383 (Sep 15, 2010)

Dislocated my left shoulder in a big pruning job once, no hooks of course. hurt like heck. Was able to walk down the tree with my taughtline hitch and one hand. If he had of been tied in with a taughtline or any of the more modern repelling gear, he too would have been able to walk down, Joe.


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