imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
Saw this on a TV program yesterday about paramedics, A climber in Adeliade up a big euc, tree forked with 2 leaders and quite large still. Climber had steel flipline around one leader and may have had a high line set also but unclear from the footage.
Climber attempted a step cut on one leader, without putting a proper face in. When making the back cut the leader started to tear out rather than breaking off, pulling the climber into the leader by his steel flipline with enough force to snap the flipline. Suspected broken pelvis, broken ribs, internal bleeding. Climber was unable to self rescue, paramedics attended the scene and were unable to effect a rescue immediately. Helicopter arrived (large site) and were unable to winch him out of the tree. Rescuers waited for the arrival of a cherry picker during which time the climbers blood pressure dropped to critical levels. Some hours passed with the climber stuck in the tree.
This type of injury is similar to being run over by a truck - the weight of the tree crushes you by pulling you against it with your flipline. If neither the tree nor the flipline break, you will quickly suffocate. Like having a car parked on top of you.
Lessons learned - When falling large leaners, put a full face in, and consider not fliplining in to the leader being felled. Also consider the use of a coos bay cut or similar to prevent tear out. The use of a flipline which can be easily disconnected (ie. not the tri lock/ quad lock but rather a "squeeze to release"" flipline gives an extra small margin of safety if fliplining in to the leader being felled - if on a high line you may have a window of opportunity to unclip the flipline if things appear to be going wrong. A rope only flipline also offers a small extra measure of safety being easier to cut if needed.
Always have a highline in place when cutting. Should the worst happen and you are injured, you can disconnect your flipline with one hand and get yourself to the ground. This may save precious hours for paramedics meaning the difference between life and death.
I had a near miss somewhat similar to this incident a couple years ago which I posted up but cannot find. I was cutting a large coral tree and was bombing down one of the leaders. The top had been taken out so there was nowhere to have a highline. Coral is soft like palm and the saw cut through it with ease. The leader was about 2' in diameter and on about a 15* lean. Bombing any kind of leader which is off vertical gives this risk. With the saw cutting through the wood so easily, I got careless and didn't bother with a face/undercut but simply powered all the way through with a back cut. The saw was easily making the full cut before the blocks even began to move. I was taking good size blocks, 4'-8' in length. While making one such cut, the saw bogged down with the wet coral pulp and I couldn't finish the cut. The piece began to tear out, slamming me against the trunk by pulling me in against it with my flipline similar to the above incident. The tearout went down about 6' below me. Luckily I had nearly finished the cut and coral is very soft. The tear out snapped at my flipline with my only injuries being crushed balls and damaged pride. It was a good lesson which I'll never forget. It's worth remembering that this type of injury happens very quickly with little time to think, and when crushed you will be out of breath and unable to act. If I had been seriously injured without a highline I would have been unable to get myself to ground, and a rescue would have been technically difficuly. It was a back yard with no access for machinery.
Climber attempted a step cut on one leader, without putting a proper face in. When making the back cut the leader started to tear out rather than breaking off, pulling the climber into the leader by his steel flipline with enough force to snap the flipline. Suspected broken pelvis, broken ribs, internal bleeding. Climber was unable to self rescue, paramedics attended the scene and were unable to effect a rescue immediately. Helicopter arrived (large site) and were unable to winch him out of the tree. Rescuers waited for the arrival of a cherry picker during which time the climbers blood pressure dropped to critical levels. Some hours passed with the climber stuck in the tree.
This type of injury is similar to being run over by a truck - the weight of the tree crushes you by pulling you against it with your flipline. If neither the tree nor the flipline break, you will quickly suffocate. Like having a car parked on top of you.
Lessons learned - When falling large leaners, put a full face in, and consider not fliplining in to the leader being felled. Also consider the use of a coos bay cut or similar to prevent tear out. The use of a flipline which can be easily disconnected (ie. not the tri lock/ quad lock but rather a "squeeze to release"" flipline gives an extra small margin of safety if fliplining in to the leader being felled - if on a high line you may have a window of opportunity to unclip the flipline if things appear to be going wrong. A rope only flipline also offers a small extra measure of safety being easier to cut if needed.
Always have a highline in place when cutting. Should the worst happen and you are injured, you can disconnect your flipline with one hand and get yourself to the ground. This may save precious hours for paramedics meaning the difference between life and death.
I had a near miss somewhat similar to this incident a couple years ago which I posted up but cannot find. I was cutting a large coral tree and was bombing down one of the leaders. The top had been taken out so there was nowhere to have a highline. Coral is soft like palm and the saw cut through it with ease. The leader was about 2' in diameter and on about a 15* lean. Bombing any kind of leader which is off vertical gives this risk. With the saw cutting through the wood so easily, I got careless and didn't bother with a face/undercut but simply powered all the way through with a back cut. The saw was easily making the full cut before the blocks even began to move. I was taking good size blocks, 4'-8' in length. While making one such cut, the saw bogged down with the wet coral pulp and I couldn't finish the cut. The piece began to tear out, slamming me against the trunk by pulling me in against it with my flipline similar to the above incident. The tearout went down about 6' below me. Luckily I had nearly finished the cut and coral is very soft. The tear out snapped at my flipline with my only injuries being crushed balls and damaged pride. It was a good lesson which I'll never forget. It's worth remembering that this type of injury happens very quickly with little time to think, and when crushed you will be out of breath and unable to act. If I had been seriously injured without a highline I would have been unable to get myself to ground, and a rescue would have been technically difficuly. It was a back yard with no access for machinery.
