# Chainsaw accident kills climber



## ATS/TexasTree (Jun 18, 2008)

See story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/gloucestershire/7461663.stm

RIP


----------



## ClimbinArbor (Jun 19, 2008)

man, bad deal.

god rest em


----------



## ropensaddle (Jun 19, 2008)

Bad, condolences to anyone involved rip


----------



## serial killer (Jun 19, 2008)

This happened a year ago, but it's definitely a reminder to climbers that you had better have someone on the ground who is trained and prepared to come to your aid and/or get you down in case of an emergency. Even dangling in your harness if you get knocked out by falling debris can kill you. Bleeding out can kill you fast. 911 can't help you if they can't get to you in time, which might happen in most situations where you are far away from the road and high up in a tree.

God bless.


----------



## Bruce Hopf (Jun 19, 2008)

ATS/Texas Tree said:


> See story:
> 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/gloucestershire/7461663.stm
> 
> RIP


Those chains, man are they are never forgiving. Can rip you bad. My Uncle's wife's brother, over 30 years ago, was ripped pretty bad. I'm not sure exactly what happened (too young to remember when it happened) but some how the saw came up on him, and cut him in the neck, shoulder area. 
They rushed him to the hospital. He almost bled to death. The surgeon who sewed him up, said that you could see the Jugular Vein. Close call for him. He was also in the bush alone. 1/2 miles away from help. He had an old beater pickup truck handy. When he got to the buildings, his brother opened up the door, and blood ran out the door. 15 miles to the hospital. The scar is pretty gruesome. He is lucky to be alive. I try very hard to be very respectable wile using these machines. If I start to get tired. I put the saws away for the day. Bruce.


----------



## pdqdl (Jun 19, 2008)

A sad story, but I question some of the information. It's a newspaper article based on statements at an inquest, done nearly a year later.

Why so late, was the inquest looking to find someone guilty of something? I never heard of a father on the ground stating that he could tell that his son who just yelled for help was dead.

The same is true of a fireman who can tell someone is dead while they are still on the ground.

I suspect that the inquest was trying to blame someone for not getting him down sooner, and they were trying to minimalize the value of being any faster to get him down. 

If I get killed that way, I hope they just get rid of my tired old corpse and do something good with the time they would be wasting on an inquest. Bad things happen sometimes; there is no need to make everybody relive the event years later.


----------



## Bruce Hopf (Jun 19, 2008)

pdqdl said:


> A sad story, but I question some of the information. It's a newspaper article based on statements at an inquest, done nearly a year later.
> 
> Why so late, was the inquest looking to find someone guilty of something? I never heard of a father on the ground stating that he could tell that his son who just yelled for help was dead.
> 
> ...


I agree with you, but I've heard of inquests taking more than 2 years. Why didn't his Dad try to do somthing to get him down. If that was my son, I would do everything in my power to help him, and why was ths Dad at the truck, instead of close to the tree watching his son work in the first place?
Mabey that is what the inquest was trying to determine. That doesn't make any sence to me at all.


----------



## ClimbinArbor (Jun 19, 2008)

Bruce Hopf said:


> I agree with you, but I've heard of inquests taking more than 2 years. Why didn't his Dad try to do somthing to get him down. If that was my son, I would do everything in my power to help him, and why was ths Dad at the truck, instead of close to the tree watching his son work in the first place?
> Mabey that is what the inquest was trying to determine. That doesn't make any sence to me at all.



i wondered about that too.

maybe dad did something stupid with a rope or something? i dont know and really think that it should be left alone. if there is any fault to a live party, it would be the father. and im sure he has suffered plenty no matter what....


----------



## (WLL) (Jun 19, 2008)

sad story. its a damn shame people are trying to point fingers maby even profit from the accident. most importaint this man was a 12+ year vetern climber and it should remind people that horrific things happen to the best of workers!! dont ever let your guard down ,dont madda how good ya think ya are!!! it can and does happen to anyone any time. be careful people!!!


----------



## reachtreeservi (Jun 19, 2008)

Bad way to go.

Probably even worse for the Dad having to watch it go down.





Like they used to say on Hill Street Blues " Let's be careful out there ! "


----------



## secureland (Jun 20, 2008)

I wonder where the ladder was?

A tragedy none the less, sympathy for the family


----------



## ropensaddle (Jun 20, 2008)

I doubt very seriously even if I was on that site could
have done anything that would save this fellow tree worker.
I have been trained many many times in climbing rescue and
cpr but truthfully a cut neck requires immediate medical treatment
much beyond my knowledge level. It was his time bad as it may sound
and I don't feel the father could have changed it or anyone short of a cmt
and doubtful they could have. Accidents happen sometimes at no particular
fault of anyone but experts like to roll around the possibilities etc. Most
long term climbers know the rules, some if not most have broken a few
without recourse and to me its all about dodging the bullet, employers 
that is! If they can prove you broke a rule they then will try to wash
their responsibility of the matter. I understand this but don't believe
it right in my opinion because, they are trying to hold humans to perfection
which we all if we are honest know, it just ain't true.


----------



## clearance (Jun 20, 2008)

Very sad. Sounds like the system we have here, they are not attaching blame, they will come up with recomendations. It is a coroners jury, not a grand jury like in the U.S. 
Rope is right, when your numbers up, thats it. If you cut your jugular (or femoral) artery, your ticket is punched, that just the way it is.


----------



## Bruce Hopf (Jun 20, 2008)

reachtreeservi said:


> Bad way to go.
> 
> Probably even worse for the Dad having to watch it go down.
> 
> ...


Sad thing. But what I gathered from the article, that the Dad was not around. He was at the pickup truck. Not where he was supposed to be, near the tree as a lookout, for his son.
Bruce.


----------



## Bruce Hopf (Jun 20, 2008)

(WLL) said:


> sad story. its a damn shame people are trying to point fingers maby even profit from the accident. most important this man was a 12+ year veteran climber and it should remind people that horrific things happen to the best of workers!! dont ever let your guard down ,dont madda how good ya think ya are!!! it can and does happen to anyone any time. be careful people!!!



The most dangerous thing that anybody can quit easily do, is to get relaxed while doing a job, thinking Oh well, nothing has happened yet, or thinking that will never happen, or taking short cuts.
A friend of mine is a Butcher. He almost lost his thumb using the big band saw cutting meat one day. He said that he got too relaxed doing the job, and got his thumb too close too the back of the blade, when he was pulling back the meat, for another cut. Cut his thumb down to the bone. He said that if it was the front of the blade, his thumb would have been gone.
Please work safe out there everyone, and be safe. Remember that life is only just a little while. Always enjoy what you do. When you start not to enjoy it, get out of it. Don't force yourself to do a job you don't like. That is where accidents happen.
Bruce.


----------



## ropensaddle (Jun 20, 2008)

Bruce Hopf said:


> The most dangerous thing that anybody can quit easily do, is to get relaxed while doing a job, thinking Oh well, nothing has happened yet, or thinking that will never happen, or taking short cuts.
> A friend of mine is a Butcher. He almost lost his thumb using the big band saw cutting meat one day. He said that he got too relaxed doing the job, and got his thumb too close too the back of the blade, when he was pulling back the meat, for another cut. Cut his thumb down to the bone. He said that if it was the front of the blade, his thumb would have been gone.
> Please work safe out there everyone, and be safe. Remember that life is only just a little while. Always enjoy what you do. When you start not to enjoy it, get out of it. Don't force yourself to do a job you don't like. That is where accidents happen.
> Bruce.




Ok, I can somewhat agree with complacency being an issue
but I can't say I enjoyed every minute of the twenty plus years.
It has paid the bills and kept me honest and force is applied on
living requirements. In other words what would I be worth if I
did not pay bills so my family has meat and potatoes? Tree 
work is what I am gifted doing and has most times kept me
and mine clothed. I never have understood the don't force
or get out of the biz if it gets too hard etc. I may die in a tree
I may die on the street or by cancer fact is; I will die of some
cause so using my skills to feed my family if that event took
place would be an honorable death and honor is most important
in my opinion. Do I flirt with disaster, no I merely use skill and
understanding to do a dangerous job and try to come home each 
night. Too much dwelling on the what if syndrome would be
inappropriate after knowing the do's and don't s and each 
climber should come to the realization that he could die
in his profession. My heart felt condolences go out to this
mans father for having to witness this and hope he can
find peace and not beat himself for something most likely
out of anyones control.


----------



## Bruce Hopf (Jun 20, 2008)

ropensaddle said:


> Ok, I can somewhat agree with complacency being an issue
> but I can't say I enjoyed every minute of the twenty plus years.
> It has paid the bills and kept me honest and force is applied on
> living requirements. In other words what would I be worth if I
> ...



I agree with you 100%, but you missed my point. For example, I was a Transport Truck Driver for over 13 years, 10 of those years was an Owner Operator. When I started driving, a friend that I worked with, told me if driving truck became a job, and didn't enjoy it, any more, to get out of it. Well 8 years ago, it became that job, and the enjoyment was gone. It was something that I grew to hate, with a position. With bad feelings about the industry, I quite, parked and sold my Tractor. This is what I meant.
I know how you feel. Being out in the bush, makes me feel relaxed, being close with nature. I have always loved being in the bush, and I always will enjoy working in it, and hunting in it. There is always something about the feeling at peace, and the tranquility a person experiences while being in the bush.
Bruce.


----------



## reachtreeservi (Jun 20, 2008)

ropensaddle said:


> I doubt very seriously even if I was on that site could
> have done anything that would save this fellow tree worker.
> I have been trained many many times in climbing rescue and
> cpr but truthfully a cut neck requires immediate medical treatment
> ...



+10 Well said, Rope.


----------

