# legendary climber in intensive care



## Orlandofeller (Feb 23, 2007)

Let's all pray for Luke Hill, Orlando, FL's most well known climber. Luke is in the intensive care unit at Orlando Regional Medical Center after sustaining broken limbs, a crushed pelvis, and internal injuries due to a forty foot fall after his tie-in point failed.

From what I'm told Luke was limb walking. His tie-in point started to creep out of the crotch. It continued creeping onto the branch until it was too weak to hold him.

I'll post in greater detail when I get more information.


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## Jumper (Feb 23, 2007)

Something to be said for two tie in points when possible..........

Hope he is OK.


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## spongygumz (Feb 23, 2007)

*Luke Hill*

Tough break.Hope he gets better.Just goes to show ya,"legendary" or not,there's nothing funny about safety.


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## DonnyO (Feb 23, 2007)

spongygumz said:


> Tough break.Hope he gets better.Just goes to show ya,"legendary" or not,there's nothing funny about safety.




Or, more accurately, accidents can happen to the best of us.


Hope he's O.K.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 23, 2007)

Or complacancy kills.

I'm told he was multi-year FLA chapter climbing champ.


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## Highclimber OR (Feb 24, 2007)

Man, it's things like this that make you know what we all potentially face. I just hope that he will make a good recovery and our prayers are with him. No matter how good we get we must never forget that safety is always #1.


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## l2edneck (Feb 24, 2007)

Nasty stuff.......im just not understanding why he didn't notice and re-tie?Definitly hope hes doin better. My prayers will be with him.


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## Soul Assassin (Feb 26, 2007)

I always try to use two points to secure myself. One for the climbing line, another for my Lanyard if possible. But, as said, bad things happen to the best. Thanks for the post.

Here in Colorado they say there are no "avalanche experts", if someone claims to be....run away. I believe the same is true of arborists. I hope he heals up with no permanent injuries.


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## Chucky (Feb 26, 2007)

My best wishes for Mr. Hill. I dearly hope he'll recover to climb again.


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## OTG BOSTON (Feb 27, 2007)

*legend in his own right.*

I'll be praying for a swift recovery for Mr. Hill.


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## treesquirrel (Feb 28, 2007)

I tend to focus more on where I am going than watching my attachment point when going out on limbs. I'll change that habit immediately.

Sorry to hear of this incident and I hope he recovers.


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## underwor (Feb 28, 2007)

I try to emphasize to my students that you should have the rope around the main stem if at all possible, rather than just in a crotch. That was something that my early mentors beat into me. Now I know why. Hope he recovers okay.


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## pmuscato (Mar 1, 2007)

So sorry to hear this it's just gut wenching when you know someone personally. An excellent climber and all around nice guy. Best of luck with your recovery. Orlando keep us posted on his condition, please.


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## Ed Roland (Mar 21, 2007)

I used to get catcalls from the ground when I would double crotch with the end of my rope for a precarious cut. Time IS $ but u can not put a price on safety.

My prayers are with him.


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## huskydave (Mar 21, 2007)

Sorry to hear that. My ex partner fell out of a tree just after I left his Company and I think it is important to state the reasons for the accidents so others don't make the same mistakes. He was moving his belt over a branch and the spurs let go he should have had two belts and only unhook the bottom belt after the top one is in place he shatterd both ankles as he landed feet first on some big roots. He was out of commision for 6 months but made a full recovery. He works much safer now we also used to climb with hydro pole spurrs and they can slip on dead or thick bark since then he switched to the proper spurs I don't climb at all anymore. I always say safety first


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## Mtnman4ever (Mar 22, 2007)

Soul Assassin said:


> I always try to use two points to secure myself. One for the climbing line, another for my Lanyard if possible. But, as said, bad things happen to the best. Thanks for the post.
> 
> Here in Colorado they say there are no "avalanche experts", if someone claims to be....run away. I believe the same is true of arborists. I hope he heals up with no permanent injuries.



Yes tue about AVy experts i am a part timeresidnet in Co as well as NH I know too well. same is true for tree clibing or rock climbing . 
any one even the best cn get hurt and badly i am considred very good at what i do with large saw and t dangerous tres but i nkow al to well somthing can go wrong no matter how well panened and safe you try to make yourself 

I hope he heals fast and is not in alot of pain or he isgettin alot of pain relief


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## maxburton (Apr 4, 2007)

This is why I always put my rope around a stem over a limb, rather than just over a limb. Being a healthy (kind of) 230 pounds, I'm a little wary about trusting ANY crotch.


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## trevmcrev (Apr 5, 2007)

What kind of a "Legend" doesnt know the most basic part of selecting a Tie In Point. ALWAYS around the stem as opposed to over a branch. I'll take a guess that the T.I.P was set from a throwline. When doing so its always way easier than getting it around a stem and easy to become complacent and accept the branch as a T.I.P. 

This isn't a dig at the guy pesonally, just want to highlight being a good competition climber doesnt always equate to being a legend in the real world of working safely day in day out.


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## rmihalek (Apr 7, 2007)

*Redirect*

Also, I wouldn't do a limb walk too far from my TIP without setting up a re-direct because one slip off the limb and you could have a 20 or 30 foot swing back to the stem. The re-direct could have stopped or maybe slowed down the TIP from being pulled out onto the limb.

Just a loop sling and a carabiner is usually sufficient for a good redirect.


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## Ekka (Apr 7, 2007)

Poor bugger, hope he gets better quickly and they help him out on the pain side.

Sometimes I think the longer you been around the more bullet proof you think you become.

These are the wake up calls.

Every now and then when your right into it climbing around the tree, looking for the next branch to rig, summising the grand scheme of things ensuring no hang ups etc ... check out ya gear. Notice how that biner on your hip holding your flip line has done a 180 degree turn? Notice the twist in your lifeline? Notice the picked threads in your rope from the saw swinging past it?

Yes, lots of chit happens up a tree, your that focused on where your going it's easy to over look small details, many times your tie in point is out of view, so when it is in view always check.

As for shooting a high crotch with a big shot and trusting it, that's common now, it's the new age of access. No longer do we have to progress up a tree limb by limb but we can get a great highpoint straight off the bat. Just test it well, if your going to use it for a radical limb walk you may want to shoot another crotch and have 2 life lines.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 8, 2007)

The statistics show that most falls come from not being tied in when recrotching.

How often do you (a collective you) find yourself unintentionally unscure in the tops?


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## Chucky (Apr 8, 2007)

trevmcrev said:


> What kind of a "Legend" doesnt know the most basic part of selecting a Tie In Point. *ALWAYS around the stem as opposed to over a branch.* I'll take a guess that the T.I.P was set from a throwline. When doing so its always way easier than getting it around a stem and easy to become complacent and accept the branch as a T.I.P.
> 
> This isn't a dig at the guy pesonally, just want to highlight being a good competition climber doesnt always equate to being a legend in the real world of working safely day in day out.




Great post for those new to climbing, especially the above in bold print.


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## OTG BOSTON (Apr 9, 2007)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> The statistics show that most falls come from not being tied in when recrotching.
> 
> How often do you (a collective you) find yourself unintentionally unscure in the tops?



More than I'd like to admit.


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## ropensaddle (Apr 10, 2007)

Get better man prayers are with you! Everyone in the biz has done
a thing or two they probably shouldn't have and the longer we climb the
more risks we have encountered! Thing is that few climbers are give up
type it is not in our make up to quit, it is what we do; our calling!
I have seen safety minded people make bad decisions and usually when 
fatigued it always seems to be that last cut of the day! I have got to a 
place where I recognize fatigue and when tired, hot,or just not feeling
my oats will put some chores off as a result. If I fell tomorrow I would
not have regretted my occupation and my family knows this and as 
with mountain climbers we visit danger regular. I hope this brother gets well soon and will pray for him and his family.


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## Ekka (Apr 13, 2007)

ropensaddle said:


> I have seen safety minded people make bad decisions and usually when
> fatigued it always seems to be that last cut of the day!



So true.


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