Another local just misses out on his Darwin Award

[skwerl]

A friend just sent me this link. I'm about 50 miles from this idiot.
http://www.wftv.com/news/7412520/detail.html

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- A Brevard County man spent almost two hours hanging 65-feet in the air before rescue crews safely got him down and the entire rescue was caught on tape.

The man working on the tree Friday and then, around 2 o'clock Friday afternoon, he ran into trouble and ended up hanging on for his life.

Firefighters said there was a problem with the tree-trimmer's harness and he started slipping through. The tree trimmer was able to keep the harness under his arms for about two hours, hanging from the side of the tree.

The man was unable to get to the ladder on the other side of the tree.

Brevard County Fire and Rescue crews didn't have a ladder truck that could reach him, so Melbourne Fire Department brought in their truck, but it was five feet too short.

Ultimately, Palm Bay Fire Rescue brought in their 100-foot ladder truck to pluck him from his roost.

Palm Bay firefighters lowered him down and he was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center. He is expected to be okay.

The picture shows him hanging by a lanyard and the lineman's belt he's wearing is up under his armpits. You can see the top of the ladder about 5' below him and another 5' behind him.

 

[a_lopa]

looks like the limb walk didnt work out

 

[clearance]

A 60 foot ladder, wow, looks like he is wearing spurs, why couldn't he have just pulled himself up, weak I guess, how embarrassing.

 

[Dadatwins]

No climbing line, wrong saddle, no ground help, no business being up in the tree, poster child for how-to-not-do-treework. Wonder if that 'slightly-used' gear will show up on ebay anytime soon.

 

[skwerl]

There's no way it was 65' in the air. Some reporter kid had no idea how to guestimate height. I'd suspect he came up with 65' because the fireman's 60' ladder truck was 5' short. Judging from the video I'd guess it was more like 35'.

 

[vharrison2]

I saw that on another site, pretty wild. Actually, Tom Dunlap covered the possibility of a saddle doing that exact same thing recently at a EHAP program he gave in Marathon, Fl for Dot Palm.

 

[DDM]

linesman belt...................... 25.00
OLD Set of telepphone spikes 50.00
boat winch strap for lanyard 10.00
business cards....................15.00

Being on the 6pm news priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[smokechase II]

error prone individual

Another thing the news folks got wrong;
"He is expected to be okay."
Perhaps the OK thing is just a physical recovery prediction.
Otherwise I'd be tempted to guess it is off by, say, 200%.

Low bid, perhaps?

 

[Lumberjacked]

Was he using that ladder for the removal? I didnt catch that

 

[murphy4trees]

Did you see the gut on that guy???

DDM... you got me laughing hard bro....

 

[itsgottobegreen]

This is excatly why I believe its should be illegal to buy a 75' ladder truck. Every time I have seen a 75' footer in use, its always a few feet short. We had a fire here a few years ago. One of our neighboring departments had their 75' ladder all the way out. Then a 20' roof ladder from the end of the 75' stick to the roof of the house. Didn't see my ass getting on the roof that way.

100' or 125' cause anything less is never long enough.